'Treatment trap'

The news of a group of physicians being in league with some private clinics and diagnostic centres to lure patients away from public hospitals falls in that category of disappointment.

We have to congratulate the members of a law enforcement agency who have discovered such malpractice in the profession after a thorough investigation. Until recently, there were some speculative stories about such unholy alliances, but now there are serious pointers to them. Those who have been taking us for a ride seem to have been identified as a Daily Star report on the subject suggests. What the expose brings to the fore is a policy inadequacy: the major public sector hospitals and the private clinics and diagnostic centres are in a close proximity of each other; the concentric circles of their location do not speak of any rational distribution of healthcare facilities in the capital city.

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The uneven pattern of service distribution, needless to say, can only promote widespread corruption and malpractices. This situation has to be remedied.

Meanwhile we would like the investigations to be taken to their logical conclusion with the rackets broken up and the persons who have scandalised the noble vocation of medical practice brought to justice.