Middleman—commonly known as “dalals”— who work for private clinics, have been cheating hundreds of patients everyday in Rajshahi city, by taking them to different private clinics from Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH).
Witnesses said scores of “dalals” gather everyday at the gate of RMCH, pester patients who come from the outskirts of the city or rural areas and pursue them to go to costly private clinics.
They added that agents lure people by saying that RMCH is not the right place to get proper treatment.
The agents also have easy access to wards of RMCH where they get enough scope to convince patients to move to private clinics.
They also offer patients various false facilities, such as round the clock presence of specialist doctors and nurses, at a reasonable cost.
A source at RMCH seeking anonymity said, almost every doctor has a private practice at different private clinics where they spend more time than at RMCH.
They also added that in most of the cases, doctors suggest patients to go to certain clinics for certain tests where they have some form of involvement.
Middlemen said private clinic owners and doctors appoint them to bring patients to their clinics and chambers.
Aminul Islam, an auto-rickshaw driver of Laxmipur area, who also works as an agent of a renowned gynaecologist, said the doctor appointed him to convince patients to go to his private chamber instead. Aminul added that he gets commission if he can deliver patients.
An owner of a well-known city clinic seeking anonymity said clinic owners invest large sums of money for purchasing machinery and other gadgets, and want a return on their investment as soon as possible.