LALMOHAN, BHOLA, Aug 2: Brokers' swindling is going on unabated in Lalmohan Upazila Health Complex in Lalmohan Upazila of the district: they cannot be contained.
Organized brokers, mostly women, are taking out money from patients' pockets in different tricks; they are persuading patients for having texts at private clinics.
Sometimes, they take away health documents from patients forcibly in front of prescribing doctors.
According to the hospital sources, 10-15 brokers are actively working for several diagnostic centres and carrying out brokering in Outdoor and Emergency Department of the health complex.
Their presence is highly noticeable from 9am to 1pm every day.
Due to their brokering, patients are deprived of at least 21 tests in the Pathology Department of the hospital.
Hospital doctors are also angry over the unauthorised activities of the brokers.
On condition of anonymity, one doctor said, "Whenever we prescribe any test, they (brokers) start to snatch it away in front of us."
"It is possible to do many tests here at cheaper costs," he added.
He further said, "In different tricks brokers compel patients for taking them to diagnostic centres."
Low-income people are harassed, he said again.
In consideration of general patients, brokers should be stopped soon, he added.
Several patients in the health complex who fell prey of brokers said, "Doctors asked us for having some necessary tests; most of these are possible in the complex; we wouldn't know it; but soon after we stepped out of the doctors' rooms, brokers took out the test documents; almost forcibly they took us to diagnostic centres."
"We counted several times of higher charges of these tests," they added.
They further said, "We are people of low-income group; we have to spend money after many estimates; we hope the hospital authorities will take necessary measures to make the hospital free of brokers."
Pathology Department In-Charge Md Riazul Islam said, "There are 21 test facilities at cheaper costs in the hospital; we want patients to receive treatment services here at cheaper costs."
"We are working sincerely," they added.
Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Md Toyobur Rahman said, "Most patients who come to the hospital are insolvent; but they are persuaded by brokers for taking to diagnostic centres."
"We have taken different steps to reduce brokers' scamming, and already their swindling has decreased a bit," he added.
He further said, "We will take stern action to free the health complex free of brokers."
