A syndicate of medical centres illegally earns about Tk 2,500 crore per year in the name of medical or health test of millions of workers, including physically unfit and sick, going to work in the Middle Eastern countries.
Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia hires 5 lakh to 7 lakh foreign workers annually, but at least 2.5 million people are being tested in the medical centres forcibly, only to cut the pockets of poor intending migrants.
The syndicate earns huge money, on the pretext of health check luring the workers that they will be given visa.
The group is managing some dishonest officials of the Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry and Directorate General of the Health Services (DGHS) to approve unnecessary medical centres.
The Department of Environment also takes the advantage as the clearance from the authorities is mandatory for the final approval of the ministry and the DGHS.
The Directorate of Environment has recently cleared a proposal of Mohammadi Albustan Medical centre, though it is non compliant, according to sources.
Sources said, about 8 lakh to 10 lakh skilled and unskilled workers of Bangladesh go to different countries to work every year.
Out of this, 5 lakh to 7 lakh workers go to Middle East countries including Saudi Arabia.
Medical examination at a Gulf Health Council approved medical centre is mandatory for obtaining manpower visas in Middle East countries.
In 1999, the Gulf Health Council started health examination of workers from various countries, including Bangladesh, going to the Middle East.
That year, 26 medical centres were approved in Bangladesh. By 2018, another 37 new centres were approved. By 2022, this number has increased to 133.
This number is unusual for Bangladesh where there are 122 such medical centres in neighboring India there are 68centres in Pakistan and Indonesia there are 23.
The reason for this is that so many medical centres have been approved only to cut the pockets of poor people who want to work abroad.
For this reason, one medical centre after another is approved charging 2-3 lakh dollars per medical centre as the fee.
It has been found that this circle arranged approval of about 70 new medical centres outside and in the capital in 2022. Most of them are anonymously owned by members of that circle.
According to the source, out of 133 medical centres, about one hundred are re under the control of this circle.
By December, they will try to get some new medical centres approved in exchange for huge sums of money.
For this reason, they are raising money from various traders.
Some of the workers said that they were charged Tk 10,000 per head for their health examination.
Despite having health problems, after giving good reports from the centres owned by the gang, they went to Saudi Arabia with visas and were caught during tests there, and they were sent to prison. They are returning to Bangladesh.
