Health Directorate: explanations about the fraud of Regent & JKG



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

  • Font increase
  • Font Decrease

Health Directorate has explained the fraud of Regent Hospital and Jobeda Khatun Health Care (JKG).

On Saturday (July 11) Directorate of Health (Coordination) gave an explanation in a press release signed by Dr. Md. Jahangir Kabir, Assistant Director (Coordination) of the directorate.

It said some legal actions had recently been taken against the Regent Hospital for fraud. News of various scams of Shahed Karim, owner of the hospital is also coming out. The Directoratet of Health was not aware of it before. In March this year, the number of Covid-19 patients in the country suddenly increased. No private hospital wanted to admit Covid patients. But many patients preferred private hospitals or clinics. At such a juncture, the Regent Hospital authorities expressed interest in dedicating the two clinics at Uttara and Mirpur in Dhaka as Covid Hospitals. The hospital department of the health directorate took the initiative to sign the memorandum of understanding under the direction of the higher authorities of the ministry.

 However, during the inspection of the two clinics, the medical environment was found to be suitable, but the licenses of the two clinics were not renewed.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on March 21, 2020 with Regent Hospital on the condition of renewal of licenses to encourage other private hospitals to provide medical facilities to Covid patients at the private level. Before the signing of this memorandum of understanding, the Director General of the Directorate of Health is far from being known about Shahed Karim except knowing him distantly in the talk shows. However, after signing the memorandum of understanding, Shahed visited the health dirctorate several times.

At this time Shahed used to try to talk to him about the contacts of various eminent persons and the presence of Covid-infected relatives of some eminent persons in his clinics. According to intelligence and other sources, some complaints about Regent Hospital were coming to the directorate. In this context, on 6 July 2020, a joint operation was launched by RAB in the presence of a representative of the Directorate of Health. The Directorate’s position on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Directorate and Regent Hospital is clear. The Directorate has been deceived into pursuing a noble cause and has shut down the organization in accordance with the July 6, 2020 Act.

Naturally the memorandum of understanding has no more value. Our expectation is that those involved in this fraud will be appropriately punished under the law. In this context, it is learned that in collaboration with the law enforcement agencies and on its own initiative, the Directorate has increased the number of surprise visits to various private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers which will continue.

In this context, I would like to explain the position of the Directorate of Health regarding the fraud of another organization called Jobeda Khatun Health Care (JKG).

Ariful Chowdhury, the chief coordinator of the company, is also the owner of an event management group called Oval Group Limited. The Oval Group is responsible for the event management of Health Services Week 2018 organized by the Ministry of Health. Oval Group also manages multiple events of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), an organization of medical professionals.

After the Covid crisis started, Ariful Chowdhury came to the health directorate and said that he was the chief coordinator of a voluntary organization called Jobeda Khatun Health Care (JKG). JKG Group wants to set up some booths in Bangladesh on South Korean model. Samples for PCR testing will be collected through these booths and supplied to the PCR laboratories of the Directorate of Health. There is no need to pay any money to the health directorate or the government for this. The Ministry of Health or the Directorate of Health felt that the JKG group should be allowed because of the good idea and the need to increase the collection of Covid test samples, on the basis of previous experience of working with the Oval Group.

The traditional Titumir College authorities also extended a helping hand to the JKG Group in the spirit of being associated with a good cause. The Directorate of Health later revoked the permission to operate the booth granted to the JKG Group after allegations of fraud were detected. The Directorate of Health is a service oriented organization. So JKG was allowed with the main goal and goodwill of expanding Covid health care quickly. There was no idea that the organization could cheat.

It is pertinent to mention that lately, some vested interested quarters are trying to tarnish the image of the Directorate of Health by misleading the media with imaginary and false information. The officials and employees of the Directorate and field level officials are working hard day and night to deal with the catastrophe like Covid with utmost strength and dedication. No one had any previous experience with this disease. The position of the organization is clear if any officer or employee takes refuge in dishonesty or injustice. If the crime is proved, everyone expects to be punished according to the law.

However, in many cases the general limitations of the organization and the system are not taken into account. Instead of sympathy, oblique remarks and fragmented and distorted information are being presented. Attempts to assassinate personal character by spreading indecent information are also seen. We think that low self-interest is also working behind all this. The situation is such that loyal officials are no longer comfortable in explaining the situation to the media. As a result, more and more confusion is spreading. If anyone commits a crime, it will be caught in the investigation and also punished. That is why it is not desirable to kill the character of an innocent person with false information and portray them as criminals. The Directorate of Health seeks everyone's attention and cooperation in this regard. 

   

Dhaka is the sixth most polluted city in the world, Seoul is on top



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

  • Font increase
  • Font Decrease

Today, Dhaka is sixth in the list of the most polluted cities in the world. The air quality of the capital has become 'unhealthy' with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 172 at 6:50 am today.

South Korea's capital Seoul topped the air quality index with 343. South Korea's Incheon, Pakistan's Lahore, Vietnam's Chiang Mai and India's Delhi occupy the second, third, fourth and fifth places in the list with AQI scores of 217, 187, 179 and 177 respectively.

An AQI score between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' for sensitive groups. An AQI score between 201 and 300 is considered 'very unhealthy'. And an AQI between 301 and 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing a serious health risk to residents.

AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on 5 parameters of pollution, namely - Particulate Matter (PM10 & PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3).

Dhaka has been suffering from air pollution for a long time. Its air quality generally becomes unhealthy during winters and improves slightly during monsoons.

In March 2019, a report by the Department of Environment and the World Bank stated that the three main causes of Dhaka's air pollution are brick kilns, smoke from vehicles and dust from construction activities.

;

Taka 400 crores laundered through digital Hundi, controlled by Dubai



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

  • Font increase
  • Font Decrease

Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested 5 people for allegedly laundering around Tk. 400 crore abroad through Digital Hundi using Mobile Banking Service (MFS).

CID Chief Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia informed this in a press conference at CID headquarters on Thursday (March 28) afternoon.

The arrested are - Nasim Ahmed (62), the owner of Tasmia Associates, Fazle Rabbi Sumon (32), the territory sales manager of Agent SIM, Md. Kamruzzaman (33), Zahir Uddin (37), representative of Jet Robotics Apps Bangladesh and Khairul Islam alias Pius (34).

Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia said, a gang has smuggled around Tk. 400 crore abroad through digital Hundi using mobile banking services. Five members of this gang were arrested during the operation.

He said that Tk. 400 crores illegally came to Bangladesh through Jet Robotics app in the last few months. Police traced the app through intelligence.

He also said that the money of this gang was transacted from the Chattogram based distribution house. Five members of the gang were arrested in separate raids in Dhaka and Chattogram on Wednesday night.

He said that Tk. 28 lakh 51 thousand cash was seized from them at the time of arrest. He said that they used to rent development agent SIMS and deliver money through them to the grassroots level.

The head of CID said that Mamun, the master of this gang lives in Dubai. He is using agent SIM here. This app used for smuggling cannot work outside 48 SIM along the specific link sent from Dubai. Only seven people can enter this app.

Referring to this as a modern form of Hundi business, he said, money is being circulated in the country through this app by blocking remittances coming to Bangladesh. Already we got 5-7 more such organizations who are working like this.

He said, in the last three months, Tk. 400 crores have been hindered from coming to Bangladesh through Jet Robotic Apps. Five people using these apps have been arrested and their devices seized.

He said, Chattogram's development distribution house Tasmia Associates company has 1000 Bkash Agent SIMs. These agent SIMs who are not performing well, the agent SIMs provide DSOs to the users of Jet Robotic Apps.

;

Demand for punishment for those responsible for electrocution death in Moulvibazar



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: barta24.com

Photo: barta24.com

  • Font increase
  • Font Decrease

The death of 6 members of the same family due to electrocution in Moulvibazar is very shocking and heartbreaking. The chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Dr. Kamaluddin Ahmed said that the main responsible person and institution should be brought under accountability.

He made this comment at a discussion on 'Role of Media in Protection of Human Rights and Consumer Rights' organized by 'Business Digest' at a hotel in the capital on Thursday (March 28).

The Chairman of the Human Rights Commission said, after investigating the incident of Moulvibazar, appropriate legal action should be taken against those responsible and necessary measures should be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. We could not do anything for one family, but we have to do for hundreds of such families.

He also said that the issue of rights is directly and indirectly the daily practice of the media. Media can question all the irregularities; make people aware of their rights and duties and play an important role in establishing rights. We can carry out reformative activities only in view of the news published in the media.

Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed called on the media workers to take all-out efforts to spread the necessary knowledge about the constitution, law and rights among the people.

At one stage of the discussion, he said about the recurrence of fires, we have not learned proper lessons from the big fires and explosions in Nimatli, Newmarket and Bangabazar in the past years. Had we taken effective measures, recurrence of fires could have been prevented.

;

Suggestion to introduce Human Rights Wing in the Foreign Ministry



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

  • Font increase
  • Font Decrease

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended setting up a new wing on human rights to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The suggestion was made at the parliamentary committee meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan on Thursday (March 28). After the meeting, this information was informed in a press release of the Parliament Secretariat.

The meeting recommended taking necessary steps to recognize March 25 as International Genocide Day. A proposal was made in the meeting to visit the Rohingya camps Kutupalong and Bhasanchar with the members of the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chairman of the committee AK Abdul Momen chaired the meeting and members of the committee and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Shahriar Alam, Nahim Razzak, Nizam Uddin Jalil, Nurul Islam Nahid, Habibur Rahman, Saimum Sarwar, Zara Zabeen Mahbub took part in the meeting. #

;