Unethical practices in private hospitals

Early this month, my pregnant sister was admitted to a private hospital for delivery. At one point, because of the objectionable treatment and services offered by the hospital authorities, it felt like we were hostage to them. They asked us to conduct a number of tests, some of which were totally unnecessary. My sister was not in a critical condition, yet she was kept in the emergency room that was expensive. The most outrageous thing is the rent of the wards. They are not so much different from a room in a regular flat, yet the fee is higher than that of a five-star suite.

Anyone who has ever been to a private hospital for any medical service would understand the kind of exploitation that takes place there. I believe these unethical practices by the private hospitals, as well as their public counterparts, are why many Bangladeshis prefer to go abroad for treatment. The country is losing huge amounts of money to other countries as a result.

The private hospitals must improve their services to earn the patients' trust.

Piash Sarkar, By e-mail