Private healthcare facilities must comply rules: health minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister Professor Dr Samanta Lal Sen today said private healthcare facilities must be run complying with specific conditions set by the government.

"From now, authorities of private hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centres have to follow the conditions," he said while addressing a function at Rajendrapur in Gazipur.

Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn & Plastic Surgery organised the function.

The health minister said, "We are noticing that some unscrupulous people are doing business putting people's people's lives at stake. They [who do not follow the rules] no longer will be allowed to run their healthcare facilities violating the rules."

"More than 1,200 private health centers are still not registered. They don't have good doctors, nurses, technicians. Now questions are raised how these hospitals, clinics, and diagnostics centres are being run and how are they getting patients? We have to think about these issues," Samanta added.

"I want to make it clear that all such unregistered health centers will be closed. Today I have issued an office order with ten special instructions signed by the Director (Administration) through the Directorate General of Health Services," Samanta added.

He said every private medical/clinic/diagnostic center must run the hospital in compliance with this office order. Failure to do so will result in severe penalties including cancellation of registration.

The orders are as follows:

• 1. Copy of license of private clinic/hospital and diagnostic must be permanently displayed in a visible place in front of the main entrance of the establishment.
• 2. In the case of all private healthcare institutions, there should be 1 (one) designated responsible information officer/employee for storing and providing all the information of the said institution, and his photo and mobile number should be displayed in a visible place;
• 3. Institutions that are named as diagnostic and hospital but have only diagnostic or hospital licenses cannot provide the services mentioned in the name without obtaining the license;
• 4. In the case of Diagnostic Center/Pathological Laboratory, only the category in which the license is obtained, no other tests can be done except the tests prescribed in that category and experts in Pathology/Microbiology, Biochemistry and Radiology should be appointed according to the category.
• 5. In the case of commercial clinics/hospitals, all conditions must be compulsorily implemented according to the type of license and the number of beds.
• 6. Copies of professional degree certificates, up-to-date registration and appointment letters of BMDC of all doctors employed in hospitals/clinics and diagnostic centers must be maintained.
• 7. For any type of operation/surgery/procedure in the hospital/clinic, a registered physician must be employed as an assistant surgeon.
• 8. Anesthesia cannot be administered in chambers or diagnostic centers except in licensed/registered hospitals and clinics. Any type of operation/surgery shall not be performed without BMDC recognized specialist.
• 9. Labor room protocol must be followed in calling private registered/licensed hospital/clinic.
• 10. Operation theater must follow operation theater etiquette in registered or licensed hospitals or clinics.