Public hospitals must be freed from outside influences

It is disappointing to know that regular services at Patuakhali Medical College Hospital (PKMC) are being disrupted by a variety of factors and outside influences, including the activities of private clinic/hospital brokers, ambulance staffers, and representatives from pharmaceutical companies. As per a report by The Daily Star on Thursday, agents of private medical services are seen loitering inside and outside the hospital every day, approaching patients and trying to lure them away from the PKMC. This state of affairs—a common sight in most public hospitals—shows, once again, that even a pandemic couldn't bring the change so essential in the public healthcare system. The quality of public healthcare in general—and the services provided by hospitals in particular—continue to be a source of frustration in the country.

At different wards of the PKMC, our reporters last week witnessed "the hyperactivity of brokers, representatives of pharmaceutical companies and private ambulances" as patients were persuaded to go to private clinics to get X-rays done at a cheaper rate, while pharmaceutical company reps took photos of patients' prescriptions. We also cannot help but be concerned at the claim of the president of Patuakhali Ambulance Owners' Association—justifying why private ambulances were parked inside the hospital premises—that the public hospital only had two ambulances of its own. Obviously, this is an insufficient quantity of emergency vehicles for a district-level hospital to have, and it is perhaps understandable why the services of private ambulances would be needed. Even so, we wonder why there are not enough ambulances at this hospital in the first place, given the Covid-19 pandemic and now the dengue outbreak.

The activities of private healthcare company representatives at public hospitals is nothing new, but they are especially harmful during a pandemic when patients need to be able to rely on the country's public healthcare system. In any case, these agents must not be allowed to cause disruptions in public hospitals.

We hope the letter that the PKMC's superintendent sent to the Patuakhali deputy commissioner on August 27, seeking legal intervention, will help stop this nuisance there. Most importantly, security measures are needed to screen and prevent private agents from even entering the hospital premises.

However, we must also urge the authorities of public hospitals to acquire adequate healthcare resources from the government, so that patients do not feel the need to turn to private healthcare providers of dubious backgrounds.