Doctors at 51 public hospitals start to see patients taking fees

After working hours, doctors at 51 public hospitals under 39 upazilas of 12 districts started to see patients taking fees.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque on 30 March inaugurated the boikalic Sashtoseba (afternoon healthcare service) programme virtually at a function at his ministry, an official release said. 

Secretary of Healthcare Service Division Anwar Hossain Hawlader, Secretary of Medical Education and Family Welfare Division Md Azizur Rahman, director general of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam and Director General of the Directorate General of Medical Education Prof Dr Md Tito Mia, among others, were present at the function.

Maleque said, "We have introduced the boikalic Sashtoseba(afternoon healthcare service) as a pilot programme to discourage people from going to private hospitals and clinics.... I hope people will get better healthcare facilities under the newly introduced programme at public hospitals."

The government has started the boikalic Sashtoseba programme on a limited scale and it will be expanded on a large scale after reviewing the outcome of the pilot programme, he added.

Under the programme, Taka 400 has been fixed for professors, Taka 300 for associate professors and Taka 200 for junior consultants, the health ministry sources said.

The government has also fixed the fees for different medical testing services at those hospitals under the pilot programme.