The authorities of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), popularly known as the PG Hospital, put five physicians, including two assistant professors, under suspension following the death of a female patient due to their ‘gross negligence’.
The patient died soon after the dental surgeons of the hospital plucked one of her teeth under partial anesthesia. Allegations have it that the doctors did not conduct any prior diagnostic investigations on the patient, who had been suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure for long.
The incidents of deaths of patients due to doctors’ negligence both in government and private hospitals and other health facilities are very common in this part of the world. Such deaths at times trigger untoward incidents involving the doctors, hospital staff and relatives of the victims of alleged negligence. In many cases, the near and dear ones of the victims of doctors’ negligence remain unaware of the actual cause of deaths as attending doctors cite one or other medical reasons. No countrywide statistics on the deaths of patients due to such negligence is available but allegations of professional negligence about doctors and nurses have been galore.
But the fact remains that the hospital authorities or the government agencies meant to investigate the allegations of professional misconduct and take actions against the doctors and nurses concerned, if found guilty, hardly take any actions.
The BSMMU’s rather prompt action against five of its doctors, thus, has come as a surprise to many. It could be that politics has played a part in it. The husband of the ill-fated female patient, reportedly, is the vice-president of Louhajang unit of the ruling Awami League. But the doctors who are members of a very strong and organized professional group might finally get away with their crimes, if there is any.
In the developed world, the work of the medical professionals is valued most for they deal with people in physical and emotional distress. And there exists an accountability mechanism for the medical professionals. Any professional misconduct is dealt with severely and, in many cases, the doctors and nurses, if found guilty, are barred from taking part in medical practice and health authorities initiate legal actions against them. There are instances where doctors and nurses were imprisoned for their professional misconduct.
Unfortunately, the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC), which is legally mandated to give registration to doctors and take actions against them if found guilty of professional misconduct and negligence in carrying out duties and responsibilities, has been failing in its jobs. The council is so ineffective that not many people are aware of its existence.
Despite the rising incidence of professional misconduct and dereliction of duty by physicians in health facilities, both private and public, the council prefers to remain non-reactive. The examples of actions against errant registered doctors and other medical professionals on the part of the BMDC have been very rare— maybe, one or two in its lifetime.
Another glaring example of BMDC’s inaction is the brisk business by quacks across the country, including Dhaka city. Hundreds of so-called doctors and dentists having no formal medical education have been doing medical practice with none to bring them to book. These quacks, in some cases, are responsible for premature deaths of many unsuspecting patients, who generally come from poorer sections of the society.
The directorate of health is yet another government organisation that does little to ensure proper and quality medical services at public health facilities. Since the directorate is the appointing authority in case of doctors it must see to it that its employees stick to normal professional and ethical standards.
The doctors also have their own professional body known as the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), which, in addition to protecting the interests of its members, is supposed to ensure that doctors maintain high standard of professional integrity and honesty. But sadly enough, the BMA, like many other professional bodies, are divided along bipartisan political line and its leaders, elected from time to time, do remain engaged in lobbying for transfers and appointments and other political activities. Then again, the beyond the BMA, the doctors have formed their organizations purely on political considerations. These organizations, when their respective parties remain in power, exert strong influence on appointments and transfers of doctors and even on the operation of the government hospitals and other facilities which creates a chaotic situation in the overall health sector of the country. Even heads of the health directorate and government hospitals find it difficult to carry out normal activities because of frequent political interference.
It has become imperative for the government to appoint some non-medical persons of high standing in the society on the BMDC to help make the council effective in handling professional misconduct by medical professionals. The sooner the government does it the better.
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