Clinic sealed off in Pabna for Covid-19 sample collection sans approval
Brahmanbaria Medical College Hospital authorities now face troubles by allowing the clinic to collect samples
The district health department has closed Rooppur Medicare Clinic Hospital in Pabna for collecting samples and giving fake reports for Covid-19 tests without approval.
The hospital was sealed off at 11am on Thursday by a team led by Dr Asma Khatun, health officer of Ishwardi upazila.
Confirming the matter, Asma Khatun said that the clinic was collecting samples for coronavirus test for past few days.
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"All the activities at the clinic were closed on Thursday following the instructions of the civil surgeon as there was no approval to collect samples for Covid-19 tests," she said.
Mehedi Iqbal, the civil surgeon in Pabna told The Business Standard that a clinic called Rooppur Medicare, next to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna, had been collecting Covid-19 samples without approval.
"Upon receiving the allegation, the clinic authorities were asked to stop the activities. However, the clinic remained operational. So, it was sealed off," he said.
Without following any rules and regulatins, the owner of the clinic, Abdul Wahab Rana, and Sujan Ahmed of Baraigram in Natore, were collecting samples for coronavirus testing.
To collect samples, the clinic authorities set up a tent in an abandoned brick field next to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
It was alleged that the samples were collected from hundreds of workers and officials working at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project.
They collected Tk5,000-6,000 per report and sent those for testing to Brahmanbaria Medical College Hospital (BMCH).
BMCH in trouble trusting Rooppur Medicare Clinic
Brahmanbaria Medical College Hospital authorities are now in crisis by allowing the unauthorised Rooppur Medicare Clinic in Pabna to collect samples for coronavirus testing.
However, BMCH authorities have claimed that they had trusted the Rooppur Medicare clinic, which was accused of providing fake coronavirus test report.
The medical college authorities made their position clear at a press conference in the Brahmanbaria Press Club auditorium at 11am on Thursday.
Samples of 50 employees of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant collected by Rooppur Medicare Clinic were tested in the PCR lab of Brahmanbaria Medical College.
But a case was filed against the Rooppur Medicare Clinic authorities at Ishwardi police station for illegally collecting samples and providing falsified test reports without government approval.
Police have already arrested Abdul Wahab Rana, the owner of Rooppur Medicare Clinic.
Besides, Md Abu Sayeed, the chairman of Brahmanbaria Medical College, was also charged in the case.
Reports have surfaced in the media about money swindling over collecting Covid-19 samples and fake reports.
Dr Zakiur Rahman, head of the Microbiology department at Brahmanbaria Medical College, and Polymer Chain Reaction (PCR) lab in-charge, said, "We permitted the Rooppur Medicare Clinic authorities to collect samples, believing that they would provide us with the necessary approval documents from the Department of Health."
We were supposed to receive the documents the day after the 50 samples collected on July 6. But since thye could not provide the documents, we did not take any more samples from them, he added.
