About 40% of doctors in 11 public hospitals and health centres were found to be absent in workplace during a drive conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The sudden drive was conducted by the anti-graft regulatory body’s enforcement teams at 11 public hospitals and health centres in eight districts across the country, from 9am to 2pm on Monday.
During the drive, the ACC officials found 92 health professionals, out of 230, absent at their respective workplaces.
The ACC found the situation to be worse outside Dhaka, as 81 out of 131 doctors were absent in eight hospitals, with an absent rate of 61.8%.
The ACC revealed the results during a press meet held at its headquarters in Segunbagicha, Dhaka later in the day.
Addressing the press meet, ACC Director General (DG) Muhammad Munir Chowdhury said the commission sent out the enforcement teams to the hospitals and health centres after receiving phone calls at its hotline 106, where service seekers complained of hassles, being asked to pay bribes to obtain services, and absence of physicians.
Among the hospitals the the ACC teams visited, the Government Employee Hospital, the Nazira Bazar Government Mother and Children Healthcare Hospital, and the Mugda 500-bed General Hospital all located in Dhaka.
The rest of the hospitals are: Pirgachha Upazila Health Complex in Rangpur; Godagari Upazila Health Complex in Rajshahi; Dinajpur Sadar Upazila Health Complex; Delduar Upazila Health Complex in Tangail; Muktagachha Upazila Health Complex in Mymensingh; Kumarkhali Upazila Health Complex in Kushtia; and Pabna Sadar General Hospital and Atgharia Upazila Health Complex in Pabna.
During the drive at the Mugda 500-bed General Hospital, the ACC also caught a stretcher bearer red-handed when he was taking a bribe from a service seeker.
When the ACC contacted the hospital authorities, they suspended the employee, named Abu Musa Bhuiyan, for accepting the bribe, the ACC DG said.
During the drives, the ACC also learnt that physicians appointed at public hospitals and health centres are mostly engaged in private practices, ignoring their duties at their respective workplaces, Munir said.
Moreover, most officials in the upazila health complexes draw full salaries, even though they are absent from work, he added.
Based on Monday’s findings, the ACC is planning to send recommendations to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to curb corruption in the health sector, the ACC chief said.
“We will take tough stance against negligence of duty,” he further added. “The health sector will be under our surveillance.”