Ex-health DG named in Regent Hospital scam chargesheet

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday approved a chargesheet against six people including former director general of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) Abul Kalam Azad in the Regent Hospital scam, although he was not accused in the case initially.

Five more people including Shahed Karim, chairman of Regent Group, were named in the chargesheet in a case filed over embezzling government funds in coronavirus sample collection and treatment without having any license.

ACC Deputy Director Md Farid Ahmed Patwary filed the case on 22 September last year.

Apart from Shahed, four other accused are former director (Hospitals and Clinics) Dr Aminul Hasan; Deputy Director (Hospital-1) Dr Md Younus Ali; Assistant Director (Hospital-1) Dr Md Shafiur Rahman, and Research Officer Dr Md Didarul Islam.

Despite much discussion and criticism, Abul Kalam Azad was not accused in the case previously.

According to the case statement, the accused converted Regent Hospital, which had shut down, into a dedicated Covid-19 Hospital without renewing its license and abused their power as they wanted benefit by illegal means.

They embezzled over Tk1.37 crore through testing samples of Covid-19 patients in a government-run lab Nipsom, the statement said.

A RAB team arrested Regent Group Chairman Shahed alias Shahed Karim from Satkhira on 15 July last year.

Shahed had been on the run since a case was filed against him for issuing fake Covid-19 test reports in Regent Hospital.

On 7 July, RAB sealed off Regent Hospital's head office in the capital, and two of the hospital's branches in Uttara and Mirpur, on charges of issuing fake Covid-19 certificates and conducting other misdeeds.

According to a RAB intelligence report, Regent Hospital collected samples from at least 10,000 people.

Of them, only 4,200 got authentic Covid-19 test certificates and the rest were fake.

Following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, the DGHS signed an agreement with Regent Hospital on 21 March for the treatment of patients. Several secretaries including the health minister were present on the occasion.