THE Super Specialised Hospital of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University not having been able to become fully operational in two years after its inauguration is a tale replete with corruption and irregularities. An absence of the required human resources and logistics is reported to have plagued the 750-bed hospital, which promised medical services that were, and are, unavailable in most other hospitals. The new administration, which took over charge of the university two months ago, says that it has detected corruption and irregularities in all stages 鈥� in the recruitment of human resources, in the purchase of equipment and in renting out spaces to facilitate services at the specialised hospital. Most of the allegations of corruption and irregularities are directed at the immediate-past vice-chancellor of the university during whose tenure the hospital, housed in a 13-storey building on 3.4 acres of land close to the university opposite the Hotel InterContinental, was set up by spending Tk 15.61 billion, with support from South Korea鈥檚 Economic Development Cooperation Fund, the Bangladesh government and the university. But the former vice-chancellor brushes aside the allegations, blaming the new administration for slowing down the hospital operation. He notes that it was the university syndicate that approved the purchase and the appointment.
The authorities trained 157 employees, who included 52 physicians, 29 officers, 53 nurses and 23 technicians in South Korea for two to four months. But only six physicians, five officers, 50 nursers and 11 technicians joined the hospital. Others did not report back. The trainee physicians were paid a daily allowance of $75 and others $60 and transport cost. The project covered the entire cost of their entire training, but the authorities have not taken any action against the people who did not join work. The organogram requires 1,763 employees, but the hospital began operation with the recruitment of 376 employees, who included 84 appointed on an ad hoc basis and 135 already employed by the university. The recruitment process has also been mired in corruption allegations. A number of high-value equipment, air conditioners, lifts and other machines are reported to have gone out of order soon after their installation as they were of low quality. The hospital is supposed to have 14 ultra-modern operation theatres, a 100-bed intensive care unit, a 100-bed emergency unit, 44 cabins and 540 general beds and to offer specialised services such as bone marrow transplantation, gene therapy, robotic surgery and nanotechnology-based services. But early June, the hospital had only six patients admitted. Only 30 people are reported to have so far taken services in the hospital. There are allegations of corruption in leasing out floor space for a pharmacy, a cafeteria and a dining hall.
While the hospital does not stand any chance soon to offer the world-class specialised medical treatment that it promised, close to a million people go overseas to seek treatment every year, primarily in India and especially Thailand, Singapore or Malaysia, draining foreign exchange reserve. The government must, therefore, put in effort to make the hospital fully operational as early as possible and hold all quarters responsible for such a situation to account by conducting credible investigation.