Shahabuddin Medical removes overcharging data to hide Covid-19 scam: RAB

Shahabuddin Medical College Hospital admitted Covid-19 negative patients claiming that they had been positive for the coronavirus. The hospital also overcharged the patients for coronavirus tests and treatment.

Officials of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said this at a media briefing after completing a raid at the hospital on Sunday night.

Moreover, the hospital authorities have deleted some of the billing information from the computers in the hospital to hide its Covid-19 scam, they said.

Without the permission of the government authorities, the hospital was reportedly testing Covid-19 samples using rapid testing kits, added the officials.

"The raid was carried out over irregularities in Covid-19 testing and other allegations against the hospital," RAB Executive Magistrate Sarwoer Alam told The Business Standard.

Sarwoer Alam said several patients are admitted here. The patients will be shifted to other hospital, and then the hospital will be sealed off.

He further said without getting Covid-19 test permission, Shahabuddin Medical College Hospital has been providing fake test reports.

The hospital has tested Covid-19 and took Tk4,500-5,000 from each patients for the testing, Sarwoer Alam said.

They even took money from the patients without testing them. The hospital also admitted Covid-19 negative patient claiming that they were positive for the coronavirus and took additional bill from them, added the executive magistrate of RAB.

Sarwoer Alam said, "We have found a patient who was admitted as a Covid-19 positive patient but received a negative result on the following day. During the drive, we seized some of the billing documents of the hospital."

Sarwoer Alam continued, "After analyzing those bills, we found that a patient was admitted on June 24 and was released on the following day. For a single day, the hospital charged the patient Tk1,21,000. The interesting fact is that the hospital has showed three bills for a single test."

Besides, some of the billing information was missing as well from the computers, he said.

From the medicine store and the operation theatre, we found consignment of expired medicines and surgical equipment which were at least 11 years old. So, we have fined Tk200,000 to the hospital over irregularities, he added.

The license of the hospital also expired a year ago and they did not renew their license. For all these allegations, the hospital will be sealed off, he added.

Morshedul Hassan, operation officer of RAB-1 said that a case has been filed against Foisal Ahmed, managing director of the hospital, doctor Abul Hasnat, assistant director, and SharizKabir Shadik, inventory officer of the hospital.

Meanwhile, 22 Covid-19 patients were admitted to the hospital, and among them three were coronavirus negative, according to the Directorate General of Drug Administration.

However, Shahabuddin Medical College Hospital authorities have issued a press release on Monday claiming that the hospital was providing treatment following the guidelines.

It has 85 experienced doctors. Among the admitted 220 patients, 192 returned home after recovery, said the press release.

The hospital is performing duty consciously and as per government order. After getting order to medicate of suspected coronavirus patients, the hospital has been treating such patients since July.

Shahabuddin Medical College Hospital launched a coronavirus unit and they assigned separate doctors and nurses for the treatment, it reads.

The press release also mentioned that Shahabuddin Hospital contracted with Praava Health Care Bangladesh and International Medical College for Covid-19 testing.

The government had allowed the hospital for its facilities, but recently the permission was cancelled as the hospital failed to provide necessary facilities that it had promised before getting the approval.

The authority also admits that the license of the hospital was expired. But they also claimed that the hospital has taken necessary measures to renew the license.

Earlier on Sunday, a mobile court of the RAB conducted a drive at the hospital. The mobile court launched the drive at 3pm and ended at 9pm on the day.