Nat'l Health Rights Convention Begins
Poor deprived of health rights
Staff Correspondent
Though people's health is related to human rights, medical service in the country is so divided and captured by a group of people that the poor are often deprived of getting proper treatment, said former adviser to caretaker government (CG) Advocate Sultana Kamal at the first National Health Rights Convention in the city yesterday." We are living in such a discriminatory society that there is actually no provision of getting free medical service for the poorer section," she said, adding that lack of seriousness on the part of the government is responsible for the situation. Sultana said the poorer section of the country is much more deprived of enjoying their health rights and awareness can play an important role in this regard, The convention was organised by Health Research and Rights Foundation and Population Services and Training Centre (PSTC) along with 52 other organisations working to protect people's health rights with the slogan 'Health is not an opportunity, it is people's rights and should be made available to all on the basis of equity.' Supported by Manusher Jonno Foundation, the two-day convention began at Biam auditorium. Chairman of the organising council Prof Rashid-E- Mahbub said a seven percent allocation of the total budget is quite negligible for health sector. " The per capita health expenditure is only $ 4 in the country though we need at least $12," he said, adding that in Bangladesh health issue is yet to be established as a right and here people cannot ask for any justice or compensation for wrong treatment. Farzana Naim of Manusher Jonno Foundation said, "If we analyse the mentality of health service providers, quality of service and condition of service recipients, we would find that we are talking about health rights only from welfare approach." Presided over by Prof Nazmun Nahar, the inaugural session was also addressed by former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Mahmud Hasan, Milon Bikash Pal of PSTC and Dr Nitai Kanti Das. At the plenary session, Prof ABM Faroque of pharmacy department at Dhaka University, Advocate Rezwana Hasan, Abul Kalam Azad of Sramajibi O Dustho Sangstha, Abdus Shakur of Governance Coalition, Dr Salima Rahman of RDRS Bangladesh and Aminur Rahman of Gono Unnayan Sangstha spoke on health policy, legal aspects, health education, mismanagement and suffering in public hospitals and different initiatives to protect people's health right.
|
Speakers at the First National Health Rights Convention at Biam auditorium in the city yesterday. Sitting from left are Dr Nitai Kanti Das, Prof Mahmud Hasan, Prof Rashid E Mahbub, Prof Nazmun Nahar and Farzana Naim. PHOTO: STAR |
