Govt orders strict monitoring of doctors' attendance at private hospitals, clinics

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has directed district authorities to strictly monitor doctors' attendance at private hospitals and clinics across the country in a move aimed at improving the quality of healthcare and curbing irregularities in the private health sector.

Under the directive, civil surgeons have been instructed to conduct regular inspections, collect monthly duty rosters, verify physicians' credentials and recommend administrative action against institutions found violating staffing requirements.

The directive, issued by the DGHS Administration Division on July 1, has been sent to all civil surgeons across the country.

According to the order, every private hospital and clinic must maintain the required number of doctors, nurses and support staff based on bed capacity. A 50-bed hospital, for example, must have at least five medical officers on duty in every shift, ensuring a minimum of one doctor for every 10 beds.

To enforce the directive, civil surgeons have been asked to undertake five key measures, including collecting monthly duty rosters from all private healthcare facilities, obtaining doctors' names along with their Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) registration numbers and contact details, verifying the submitted information, and conducting surprise inspections.

The DGHS also instructed district health authorities to report institutions that fail to maintain the required physician presence or provide false or incomplete information, so that administrative action can be taken under existing regulations.

Civil surgeons have been asked to submit a monthly monitoring report to the DGHS by the 10th of every month.

The directive was signed by DGHS Director (Administration) Prof Dr Jalal Uddin Mohammad Rumi.

Health sector stakeholders say the move is expected to strengthen accountability in private healthcare facilities, ensure the presence of registered physicians during operating hours and discourage the practice of listing doctors on paper without ensuring their actual attendance.