Dr. Asif Nazrul, Adviser to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, has called for an end to the growing trend of prescribing unnecessary medical tests to patients in the name of treatment, solely for financial gain.
Speaking at a program held on Saturday at Shaheed Abu Sayeed International Convention Center in Dhaka’s Minto Road, he urged healthcare professionals to treat patients with empathy and refrain from exploiting them.
The event was organized to mark the inauguration of newly elected committee of Bangladesh Private Hospital, Clinic and Diagnostic Owners Association (BPHCDOA).
“Stop encouraging foreign treatment. Improve how our doctors interact with patients. Listen carefully to what they say and most importantly, stop prescribing unnecessary and excessive diagnostic tests,” Dr. Nazrul said.
He shared a personal example to underscore his point; “One of my domestic helpers recently visited a doctor and was given 14 different tests. Later, he went back to his village, consulted a local doctor who didn’t recommend any tests and he got better.”
Dr. Nazrul also urged doctors to avoid prescribing unnecessary medicines, emphasizing that ethical medical practice should take precedence over profit motives.
