Private chambers at public hospitals from early March

The government is going to introduce a private chamber system after office hours or after 2pm at all public hospitals across the country to help patients avail consultations with specialist doctors.

The system will be introduced at 83 hospitals in early March and other public hospitals across the country by August 31, officials concerned told Business Insider Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Doctors usually remain absent after 2pm and thus the government has undertaken a pilot project so that patients can avail treatment at all public hospitals after the office hours, said an official of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry.   

According to the latest draft of the institutional practice guidelines, the patients will be able to visit professors and associate professors by paying an extra fee of Tk 300 and Tk 150 for MBBS doctors.

The ministry formed a committee on January 22 to introduce the private chamber system at all public hospitals in the country.

The committee has already held two meetings and finalised guidelines to this end.

According to the draft rules, patients will be consulted initially from 3pm to 6pm at the private chambers but the time limit may be extended to 7pm.  

Professors, associates and assistant professors will consult patients every two days based on a roster and the treatment seekers will be able to collect tokens from 2:30pm to 5:00pm at the respective hospitals.

Of the Tk 300 fee, doctors will get Tk 200, assistants Tk 50 and Tk 50 will go to the hospital fund.