Private healthcare organisations directed to display license number on signboards

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has asked all private hospitals/clinics, diagnostic centres, and blood banks to include their license number and date of expiration in their signboards.

QR codes of this information will also have to be displayed if need be, says a notice published by the DGHS on 1 September.

The notice also said lawful action will be taken against any healthcare organisation that refuses to comply with this directive.

The Health Services Division has been conducting a strict campaign to close down illegal and unregistered clinic diagnostic centres in the country.

In a 2019 study conducted by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) it was found that around 14% of private hospitals in Bangladesh have never filed for registration since licensing comes with many challenges, such as short validity, requirement for multiple clearances from authorities, long wait for approval and high fees.

Besides, of those registered, a large number of hospitals' licences have expired, but they are not going for renewal because of many such hassles, icddr,b has found.