The state-run hospital on the outskirts of Dhaka in Savar upazila is allegedly using fake inpatients to embezzle money earmarked for food supplies.
Sources at the Upazila Health Complex say the authorities, in collusion with the supplier, have been using ‘ghost patients’ to create fake invoices.
The register for inpatients, seen by Dhaka Tribune, included the names of doctors, nurses and other staff of the hospital. Even the name of the Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer (UHFPO), who is in charge of the medical facility, was listed as an inpatient.
Asked, UHFPO Md Sayemul Huda said the hospital's resident medical officer (RMO) deals with the issue.
“I sign the invoices after the RMO verifies and clears it. An inquiry will be opened if there have been irregularities,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
RMO Nusrat Jahan Sathi declined to comment saying she is not authorised to speak to the media without a clearance from her superiors.
Dhaka Civil Surgeon Md Moinul Ahsan said he would look into the matter.
“If anything like that happened, it’s a gross irregularity. We will launch a probe and take action against those responsible,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
According to sources at the hospital, the number of patients seeking treatment began to decline soon after the coronavirus pandemic unfolded in Bangladesh.
Sources said that in the last 10 days, only 18 patients were admitted, that is, three to four patients a day on average.
However, hospital documents show the 50-bed hospital treating inpatients at full capacity at all times during these 10 days.
Sources added that the hospital authorities have been using fake patients to embezzle money for quite some time now, but no action has been taken.
