Dhaka: A physician at Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex in Jhenaidah has been accused of neglecting official duties by leaving the hospital during working hours, using a pharmaceutical company’s medical representative (MR) for personal agricultural work, and allegedly prescribing medicines from low-quality companies in return.
According to United News of Bangladesh, allegations have surfaced against Dr Arun Kumar Mondal, a dermatologist and venereologist, who reportedly signed the attendance register at the health complex on Wednesday morning but left the hospital around 9:00 am, neglecting his duties to attend to patients. The doctor allegedly traveled about four kilometers to his farmland at Narendrapur by the Mallikpur Road, accompanied by a medical representative identified as Maruf Hossain, whom he assigned to carry out gardening and other agricultural work.
A local resident, Kamruzzaman, claimed this was not an isolated incident, alleging that Dr Mondal had previously used pharmaceutical representatives for personal household work at his residence in Jashore. Further accusations suggest that he prescribed medicines from certain pharmaceutical companies without medical necessity in return for such favors.
A visit to the health complex revealed that Dr Mondal returned to the hospital nearly two hours later after completing the work at his farmland and resumed seeing patients. During that period, medical representatives of pharmaceutical companies were observed irregularly managing patient queues outside his chamber.
When contacted, Dr Mondal acknowledged taking the representative with him but denied it being a regular practice. “I do not do this regularly. I went out with the medical representative for a specific reason,” he stated.
Kaliganj Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Amanullah Al Mamun expressed that such alleged irregularities and professional misconduct in a public healthcare facility are unacceptable, and the matter will be reported to higher authorities. Jhenaidah Civil Surgeon Dr Md Kamruzzaman also noted he was aware of the allegations and assured that necessary action would be taken following an investigation.