The recent deaths of six newborns at Ad-din Hospital have once again shaken public confidence in Bangladesh’s healthcare system, reigniting concerns over patient safety and hospital standards.
The question remains: is the crisis confined to a single hospital?
Across Dhaka, allegations of medical negligence, wrong treatment, poor infrastructure, service deficiencies, environmental hazards, and management failures have persisted for years in hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers. Observers say the problem is systemic rather than isolated, with widespread irregularities turning many facilities into what critics describe as “death traps."
According to the Department of Health, Dhaka district has 827 registered private hospitals and clinics, 1,544 diagnostic centers, and 152 blood banks.
Ad-din Hospital is among the registered institutions. Despite formal approval, allegations of negligence have already led to tragic consequences. Officials and observers say it is far from an exception.
Private healthcare facilities across Dhaka continue to operate amid widespread irregularities. Patients, while paying for services, often face compromised care and avoidable risks to their lives.
A recent visit to several private hospitals and diagnostic centers in Mirpur uncovered a range of violations.
Many facilities operate in cramped spaces inside residential or commercial buildings. In several cases, hospitals share premises with madrasas, garment factories, or apartments. Emergency units often exist only in name, while basic infrastructure and minimum healthcare standards are missing.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) requires private clinics, hospitals, and diagnostic centers to display licenses prominently at entrances. However, this rule is frequently ignored.
In Mirpur Section 6, BMI Hospital and Diagnostic Centre operates on two floors of a six-story building. A madrasa is located on the third floor, while residential flats occupy the upper levels.
A list of 15 doctors is displayed outside the facility, but staff say only three to four doctors regularly attend evening patients, with others visiting on call.
The hospital has no formal emergency department. Reception staff point to a room labeled as "emergency," though no doctor is stationed there.
Outpatient services and a pathology laboratory operate within the same limited space. Staff confirm all operations are confined to two floors.
A banner outside claims government approval and displays "BMDC Reg. No: HSM 91356." However, the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) registers doctors, not hospitals.
Locals say patient flow is moderate, mostly in the evenings, and claim the facility is frequently used for deliveries and surgical procedures.
In Mirpur-1, opposite Shah Ali Mazar, Mirpur Holy Crescent Hospital and Diagnostic Complex operates inside a seven-storey building.
The ground floor houses emergency services, outpatient care, and reception. The second floor contains diagnostics, while the third floor has beds and cabins. The remaining four floors are occupied by a garment factory.
Loud machinery noise and vibrations persist throughout the day. Hospital staircases are also used to transport factory goods.
A senior official, requesting anonymity, said the facility has around 26–27 beds, most of which remain occupied.
He added that the hospital currently lacks ICU, NICU, and CCU facilities.
“We are operating on three floors; the rest is rented to a factory. We will shift to a new building with ICU, NICU, and CCU facilities,” he said.
The same hospital complex is also distributing leaflets advertising training programs under the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA).
The leaflet claims free technical courses, 80% attendance requirements, a monthly stipend of Tk 1,500, a daily travel allowance of Tk 100, priority for women and marginalized groups, and NSDA certification upon completion.
However, NSDA’s official website does not list the institution among approved training providers. The authority has recently warned against fraudulent certificates, fake verification systems, and misuse of QR codes.
It also cautioned against scams involving the National Human Resource Development Fund (NHRDF), clarifying that no financial transactions are involved in official processes and certificates are issued only through verified institutions listed on the National Skills Portal.
At Dr Amanat Khan Hospital and Diagnostic Centre near Mirpur-1 bus stand, the entire six-story building is used for healthcare services.
The ground floor includes reception, emergency, and pharmacy services, while upper floors house operation theaters, labs, wards, and cabins.
However, much of the diagnostic work beyond basic tests is outsourced. The facility also suffers from poor ventilation and inadequate lighting.
Local resident Anik Hossain said, “They charge high fees, but the service is not good. Nurses do not properly care for patients, and the environment is not clean.”
Latifa General Hospital and Diagnostic Center in Mirpur-1 presents a similar picture, operating across five floors in a dark and unhygienic environment.
‘Cleaning only when doctors arrive’
At Medihome Hospital on Kamal Smaranee, 60 Feet Road in Mirpur, services operate across three floors.
The ground floor is dimly lit and poorly ventilated, with a small room marked as “Emergency Department." The second floor houses laboratories and outpatient services, both described as poorly maintained.
A staff member said cleaning and lighting are arranged only when doctors arrive.
The third floor contains cabins and wards where patients are admitted, but conditions are described as worse—no airflow, dampness, heat and suffocating interiors despite functioning fans.
A patient from Khagan, Savar, said he was referred by a local pharmacy for lower costs but later found expenses comparable to other facilities.
“Inside, it feels suffocating. There is no air circulation. Fans run, but it is still very hot,” he said.
Staff said the hospital has 13 beds across three floors, while the fourth floor is partly occupied by another office and the landlord.
Regulatory action is largely triggered after deaths or major negligence cases, while routine monitoring remains limited.
Attempts to reach DGHS Director (Hospitals and Clinics) Dr Abu Hossain Md Mainul Ahsan went unanswered for two days. DGHS Director General Prof Dr Prabhat Chandra Biswas also did not respond to repeated calls.
In March, DGHS conducted a three-day drive against substandard and illegal private hospitals, inspecting 16 facilities in Dhaka and sealing five.
At the time, Health Minister Sardar Shakhawat Hossain said “playing with human lives will not be tolerated” and promised continued enforcement.
He added that unauthorized and substandard clinics would be shut down and minimum standards strictly enforced, alongside reassessment of previously issued approvals amid acknowledged systemic lapses.
