A restaurant and a vet clinic in the same building in Dhanmondi
There is currently no specific law or rule against this
Some of the customers of a restaurant in the Dhanmondi area of the capital have raised concerns over whether the establishment meets health standards, given there is a veterinary clinic located in the same building.
The two-storey building on Road 7 in Dhanmondi has a restaurant called Soi7 on the ground floor, while the Care and Cure Veterinary Clinic is on the upper floor. Both institutions are operational.
Soi7 started its journey in 2022, while the Care and Cure Veterinary Clinic opened three years ago.
During a visit to the area, locals told Dhaka Tribune that the building was once known as Panaullah Bhaban. The nameplate of the building was removed after the death of the original owner, and the current owner does not live in the building or anywhere nearby.
According to experts, veterinary clinics generally should not be set up in residential buildings. If a vet is set up in a residential area, various security and safety measures are needed to ensure that residents are not affected by the animals undergoing treatment.
However, there is currently no specific law or rule against the set up of veterinary clinics and restaurants in the same building.
Restaurant staff members said there was no issue as the clinic is located on a different floor. When asked how the restaurant owner obtained permission to open his establishment in a building with a veterinary clinic, the staff members said they did not know.
The staff members also declined to provide the contact information of the restaurant owner.
The clinic does not have a clear sign, just a picture of a cat on a wall. The steps at the entrance of the clinic are littered with garbage and pill shells, papers and syringes, according to our reporters.
The receptionist of the clinic said the doctor was unavailable at the time of the visit. Clinic owner Dr Md Saddam Patwary declined to comment when contacted by phone after several attempts.
When contacted, Veterinary Officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (Zone-1) Dr Sharan Kumar Saha said: “Usually, such clinics should be outside residential areas, but due to urbanization this is not always possible. These types of clinics are mainly private, and they need to be approved by the Bangladesh Veterinary Council. There is no link to the city corporation.”
Bangladesh Veterinary Council’s acting registrar Dr Gopal Chandra Biswas said: “The standards we have for establishing veterinary clinics include the skills of the veterinarians of such clinics, room space (1,500 sq-ft), and necessary medical facilities. We basically verify these issues and approve the clinics. Registration of Cure and Care Veterinary Clinic has been given after verifying that they meet these requirements.”
He added that there should not be a problem as the restaurant and clinic are on different floors, but the authorities will take action if there are any complaints.
“The issue (of having a restaurant in the same building as a clinic) is not mentioned in our standards. We have a standards development committee and we will talk to them and solve it if there is a problem,” he further said.
DSCC Chief Health Officer Dr Fazle Shamsul Kabir said: “Having a restaurant on the ground floor and a veterinary clinic on the upper floor of the same building is definitely uncomfortable, but no one has complained yet. I will quickly send an inspector to look into the matter. It will also be seen whether the two institutions are licensed or not.”
Source: Dhaka Tribune.