Govt to fix service charge for private hospitals: Maleque

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DHAKA, Feb 28, 2021 (BSS) – Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid
Maleque today said the government has taken initiatives to fix medical
service charges for private hospitals to make healthcare cost affordable for
all.

“Out-pocket expenditure is gradually increasing as most private hospitals
are charging very high from service seekers…. Service will be fixed on the
basis of standard of different private hospitals,” he told a meeting on
“Incorporating private sector in healthcare facilities” at his ministry, an
official release said.

Secretary of Health Service Division Abdul Mannan, Director General of
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad
Khurshid Alam and President of Bangladesh Private Medical Association Mubin
Khan, among others, were present at the meeting.

Describing various reasons for the increase of out-pocket expenditure, the
health minister said other key reasons for higher medical cost include taking
medical treatment from abroad, dependency on private hospitals and price hike
of medicines.

Maleque acknowledged private medical sector’s considerable contribution to
providing healthcare facilities to the people alongside public hospitals.

But a section of private hospitals are charging very high from patients,
creating huge financial burden on service seekers, he added.

There are huge number of clinics in the country, the health minister said
adding, many clinics are not equipped enough to provide quality healthcare
services to the people.

“We are working to fix a set of conditions for all clinics in the
country to ensure quality medical service,” he added