Common folks dissatisfied with govt’s services

Common folks in Singair, Manikganj on Thursday expressed they get from government hospitals as well as the land office and the power utility.
They were quite vocal about the services at a public hearing hosted by the Anti-Corruption Commission at the premises of Singair upazila office.
It was the 140th public hearing hosted by the ACC with support from the World Bank.

The public hearings seek to hold the government’s service providing officials accountable, said ACC officials.
At the hearing, 10 top upazila level officials failed to provide satisfactory answers to the service seekers.

At least 17 sufferers raised questions over irregularities and corruption indulged by physicians and employees at the upazila health complex and the local community clinics.
Sanaullah Sakib of Kashimnagar complained that his sister was denied treatment by the Kashimnagar Community Clinic for her refusal to pay Tk five illegally demanded by the staff.
In reply, upazila health officer M Sekandar Ali Mollah assured that action would be taken against the irregularity.

He also made the commitment that henceforth he would pay regular inspection visits to all the 30 community clinics under him.
At least eight sufferers complained that the upazila health complex always decline to provide medicines to its patients.

They also complained that the health complex refers its patients to get their medical samples tested by private diagnostic centres.
A common complaint was that the physicians always misbehave with patients to encourage them to seek treatments at private clinics.
An ACC team led by commissioner Nasiruddin Ahmed paid visit to the upazila health complex incognito before the public hearing began.
During the visit the team found that the complex never maintained inventory of medicines the patients are due to get free of costs.

It also found that the hospital authority takes no interest to repair the x-ray machine which remained out of order since October 22, 2016.
Officers and employees at the office of assistant commissioner (land) faced the second highest questions over their corruption and irregularities.
At least 12 persons complained that even after to paying between Tk 6,000 and to Tk 22,000 to Palli Bidyut officers through middleman they were yet to get their electric meters.
Additional deputy commissioner Manjur M Shahriar moderated the hearing attended by ACC commissioner Nasiruddin as the chief guest.
Nasiruddin warned that government officials found involved in irregularities would end up in jails.

He urged the ministers and the secretaries to declare their ministries as corruption free.