A mobile court fined five diagnostic cenres in Mirpur 1 intersection area in the capital yesterday, charging them more than Tk12 lakh of fine in total.
Sarwar Alam, a magistrate of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), conducted a drive in the area and fined them for having expired licences and not maintaining hygiene, said sources.
They were also fined for using out-of-date products and issuing false test reports.
The court also found that none of the diagnostic centres had qualified pathologists. At one centre, they found that an employee named Asma Khatun, who only completed her secondary education, was conducting pathology tests.
Dr Suprio Sarker, a Directorate General of Health Services official who was present at the drive, told the Dhaka Tribune that the court fined Tk12.2 lakhs to the five diagnostic centres, including Padma Pathology Lab and Dr Amanat Khan Hospital.
Major Safiul Azam Siddique, deputy director of RAB 4, told the Dhaka Tribune that they conducted the drive from 1:30pm to 5pm.
No arrest was made during the drive.
He said several doctors in those centres confessed to signing false reports after they were sent to them by the authorities, despite being prepared by unqualified employees.
Sources said when the court raided Medicine Diagnostic Centre, they found Asma Khatun conducting the tests. When asked about her educational background, she said she had passed the SSC examination.
Asma was later freed, but the hospital was fined Tk210,000.
At Padma Pathology Lab, the court found that they were using chemical products that had expired a long time ago, and they had not renewed their licence. The court charged them with a Tk310,000 fine.
The court also charged Saik Digital Diagnostic for using expired products and not renewing their licence.
Beside, Medinet Medical Service Limited and Dr Amanat Khan Hospital were fined Tk3 lakhs and Tk2 lakhs, respectively for using expired products and issuing fake medical reports.
