Surveillance on Private Hospitals Must Be Intensified

The rapid expansion of private hospitals and clinics in Bangladesh has created greater opportunities for people seeking medical treatment, but it has also intensified concerns about the quality, affordability, and accountability of healthcare services. While private healthcare institutions play an important role in complementing the public health system, allegations of excessive medical bills, unnecessary diagnostic tests, inadequate treatment, unqualified practitioners, and questionable medical practices have raised serious questions about regulatory effectiveness. In this context, intensified surveillance of private hospitals is no longer optional; it is essential to protect patients' rights and ensure that healthcare remains a service rather than merely a commercial enterprise.

For many Bangladeshis, private hospitals have become an unavoidable choice because of overcrowding, limited facilities, and long waiting times in public hospitals. However, the financial burden of private treatment can be overwhelming, particularly for middle- and lower-income families. Patients and their relatives frequently struggle to understand hospital bills, diagnostic charges, consultation fees, and medication costs. In some cases, concerns arise over unnecessary investigations and procedures that increase expenses without providing corresponding medical benefits. Such practices, where established, represent serious violations of professional ethics and patient trust.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and other relevant regulatory authorities must therefore strengthen their monitoring activities. Regular inspections should examine hospital licensing, doctors' qualifications, nursing standards, infection control, emergency facilities, intensive care units, diagnostic accuracy, and patient safety protocols. Merely granting licenses and conducting occasional inspections cannot guarantee acceptable healthcare standards. Hospitals must be evaluated continuously against clearly defined regulatory requirements.

Transparency in financial transactions is equally important. Private hospitals should display their service charges, provide itemized bills, and explain the medical necessity of costly investigations and procedures. Patients should have access to effective complaint mechanisms, while serious allegations of negligence, malpractice, or financial exploitation should receive independent investigation. Regulatory authorities must also ensure that hospitals do not employ unqualified personnel or operate specialized medical facilities without appropriate expertise and equipment.