Drive against illegal diagnostic centers to improve healthcare facilities: Maleque

Health Minister Zahid Maleque Wednesday said the government is conducting drive against unauthorized clinics, diagnostic centers and private hospitals across the country for improving standard of healthcare services. 

"There are 11,000 diagnostic centres in the country....we are conducting drive against illegal diagnostic centers to avert victimization and harassment while receiving healthcare facilities," he told a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC). 

Maleque said both public and private hospitals are playing an important role in providing treatment facilities to the people. He said Bangladesh has become a role model for controlling coronavirus as the country successfully handled three waves of the deadly virus. 

 

"When almost the entire world was struggling to combat the lethal virus...we have taken multiple measures under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to protect lives of the people from the disease," he said. 

The health minister said, "Bangladesh has so far inoculated nearly 26 crore doses of vaccines."

 He attributed the controlling of third wave of COVID-19 that hit Bangladesh mid-January this year, to expansion of vaccination coverage including booster dose.

On May 26, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a notification to seal all unauthorized clinics and diagnostic centers across the country within 72 hours. 

The health authority said legal action will be taken against the persons, who are involved with illegally running diagnostic centers and clinics.