‘Graft allegation over health workers accommodation not true’

Health Minnister Zahid Maleque on Tuesday claimed that there was no corruption in the bill for accommodation of medical professionals in Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

He said, ‘I found out and saw last night that the allegation has been raised is not true.’

The minister said this during cut-motion discussion in the National Parliament on Tuesday.

Earlier, Jatiya Party MP Pir Fazlur Rahman said, “Prime Minister spoke in the parliament over the bill of medical professionals. She mentioned that a bill of Tk 20 crore for food in a month seemed unusual. We are scrutinizing the allegation. Why will it be so unusual? Measures must be taken if any irregularity is found.”

He said, ‘Our health system is in such sick state during the coronavirus pandemic. People say that the health ministry has turned into Meena cartoon.”

In reply, Health Minister said, “I saw that 50 hotels were rented where 3,700 staffs resided. The rent of each room is Tk 1100. The cost of food, as mentioned, is totally wrong. The cost for three meals of a day was Tk 500.”

Zahid Maleque said, “We had just one lab. In last half and a month, we set up 68 labs. There are no 14,000 beds and 4,000 patients.

He hopes that the number of infection will reduce if people become aware and put on mask.


Dhaka/Asad/AKA