More than two hundred diagnostic centers in Chandpur do not have an environmental clearance.Although the clearance from the Department of Environment is mandatory for private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers, more than two hundred hospitals, diagnostic centers and clinics are operating in Chandpur without clearance.
It has been alleged that this has been the case for a long time due to the laxity of the local environment department. There are 254 clinics and diagnostic centers and 43 hospitals in Chandpur.
Of which only 75 institutions have clearance from the Department of Environment. Of the rest, 20 to 25 have applied for clearance.
Many have been running the hospital or clinic business for a long time with the clearance that they got at the beginning. They did not renew it later. Not only that, many private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers in Chandpur did not even get the location clearance from the Department of Environment.
Besides, there are many questions in the minds of the people about how the pathology or clinics are approved by the institutions which could not prepare all their documents from the very beginning.
Some expressed displeasure over the role of the officials of the concerned supervisory body.
When talking to the owners of a few diagnostic centers and clinics, they avoid or respond tactfully.
Alamgir Hossain, director of Insaf Digital X-ray and Diagnostic Center adjacent to Chandpur Government General Hospital, said, “We have applied for environmental clearance.”
I hope to get the clearance in a few days. Mostafa Kamal, lab in-charge of the Azad X-ray and Diagnostic Center, said, “Our diagnostic center is very old.”
Earlier, there was no office of the Department of Environment in Chandpur. So we were not renewed. Now we are trying to collect environmental clearance quickly.
But it has been said to renew with a fine of many years. Which is difficult for us. So we applied for a waiver of some money.
Even if the department does not give us any exemption, we will apply for environmental clearance very soon.
AHM Rashid, Deputy Director, Chandpur District Environment Department, said, “We have sent notices to all the clinics and diagnostic centers which have not renewed their environmental clearances.”
After receiving the notice, the authorities of some clinics and diagnostic centers have submitted applications for clearance. But most have not yet submitted their applications. We will suddenly run a mobile court against them.
Staff Correspondent, August 21,2020