Allegations of low-quality meals at Kulaura hospital

Moulvibazar correspondent:
Complaints have been received about poor quality food being provided to patients at the 50-bed Upazila Health Complex Hospital in Kulaura, Moulvibazar. A contractor named Junaid Zahid Traders has been hired to provide food to patients in the financial year 2024-25.
There have been allegations that the company was given the responsibility of supplying food even after it came second in the EGP tender process. When local journalists went to collect information, a commotion broke out at the hospital. On Wednesday afternoon, the hospital was visited by a group of journalists.
Seeing the presence of journalists the contractor and other concerned parties started running Hospital chief Dr. Zakir Hossain measured the ingredients for the patients’ food. Later, contractor Muktar Ahmed shared the ingredients with the cook. Meanwhile, last
In April, an ACC team from the Habiganj Integrated Office visited the hospital and warned the concerned after finding out that the food was not sufficient.
It is learnt that the hospital’s internal medicine department
In addition to medicines, patients are provided with three meals (breakfast in the morning, rice in the afternoon and dinner) worth 175 taka every day by the government. In addition, on special days, each patient is provided with food for 200 taka. According to the terms of the tender, the hospital has three meals a week.
They are supposed to give 350 grams of rice, 175 grams of chicken meat, 150 grams of chicken meat, and 75 grams of chicken meat. But the meat is not being given in the right quantity. They are supposed to give 350 grams of rice, 150 grams of fish, 75 grams of fish, 75 grams of fish, four days a week. Every day, patients
In the morning, two breads, one boiled egg, and two ripe bananas are supposed to be served. But here, small bananas and low-quality breads are being served. But the food served is of low quality, including fish and meat, thick rice, rotten and stale curry, and the quantity is less.
On June 24, 31 patients were admitted to the hospital, on June 23, 35 patients, on June 22, 36 patients, on June 21, 35 patients, on June 20, 30 patients, on June 19, 37 patients, on June 18, 40 patients, on June 17, 41 patients, and on June 16, 34 patients were admitted.
Hospital cook Sajia Begum complained that patients are given less food in the hospital every day. A patient is supposed to be given 150 grams of fish and meat on their plate for lunch and dinner, but they are given only 30-40 grams. Every day
In the morning, they are given low-quality bread and small bananas.
Several hospital employees, who asked not to be named, said that although Muktar Ahmed of Junaid Zahid Traders was given the responsibility of providing food on paper, the hospital’s chief assistant

The accountant Almasur Rahman is helping him. In collusion between the two of them, they are embezzling government money by providing low-quality food. I can’t say much if Almasur Sahib causes any trouble. He is in the hospital.
A syndicate has been formed.
The admitted patient Yusuf Ali (90) a resident of Rautgaon Union of the upazila, said, “I have been admitted for 5 days with difficulty breathing and stomach pain. In the hospital, I was given a little rice twice, 1 piece of potato, and a small
Size fish and meat are given. The amount of spices in the curry is very less, the fish and meat are not cooked completely. When I, an old man, went to eat food, I started vomiting. Aklu Mia, a resident of the Jaypasha area of the municipal area, said, “For 4 days, my wife
Chamrun Begum is admitted due to diarrhea. The quality of food is very poor. Shaheda Akhter, a resident of the municipal area, said the same thing. She said, “My 11-month-old daughter Mariam is suffering from pneumonia and diarrhea. The food in the hospital is of poor quality.”
I am bringing food from outside to eat. The few times I have been given fish, I have been given fish tails. The patients and their guardians said that they are reluctant to take food because it is of very low quality, small in quantity and unappetizing. As a result, the patients
They are buying food from their own homes, relatives or from outside.
Investigation revealed that in the 2020-21 financial years, Abu Taleb Mukul of M/s Shiuli Enterprises raised a bill of 17 lakh 44 thousand 29 taka as a food supplier. 2022-
In the 2023 fiscal year, Muktar Ahmed of Junaid Zahid Traders raised a bill of Tk 18, 35, 650. In the 2023-24 fiscal years, Muktar Ahmed of Junaid Zahid Traders raised a bill of Tk 31, 56, 450. In a span of one year,
An additional bill of 13 lakh 20 thousand 800 taka was raised. But two contractors participated in the EGP tender dated January 13 this year. There, Shiuli gave the lowest rate of 2 lakh 74 thousand 898 taka for the supply of food for one year.
Enterprise. On the other hand, Junaid Zahid Traders gave a rate of 30 lakh 41 thousand taka. According to the rules of the EGP tender, the lowest rate payer, Shiuli Enterprise, was supposed to get the work, but the hospital refused to accept the work on the pretext that the paper was not correct.
Junaid Zahid Traders was awarded the tender for supplying food with the help of Almas Ahmed. In this regard, Muktar Ahmed, the hospital’s food contractor, admitted that the quantity of food was less and said that there would be some defects in the food because there is VAT-IT. Look at it as a businessman
How much is the calculation? Regarding the provision of less than the amount of fish and meat in the food, he said, “We are providing it according to the rules. We are also providing the right amount of spices.”
Almasur Rahman, the hospital’s chief assistant and accountant, said, “I am not a partner with the contractor. Anyone who says this

I can’t shut anyone’s mouth. Food is being served properly. THO and RMO are responsible for supervising the food. They can speak well about it. I have not done any irregularities.
Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Zakir Hossain said, “I have warned the hospital’s cook and assistant so that the food contractor does not serve less food. I often weigh the food ingredients. For the last two months, I have seen that the quality and weight of the food is fine. The concerned
We have warned them not to be influenced by the contractor. He also said that no one will be exempted if there are irregularities in the food of the patients. Recently, the ACC also came to the hospital and saw the irregularities in the kitchen. Later, they verbally warned us about this.