January 6, 2010

Inside

 

Good dwarfs bad--Shakhawat Liton

No letup in price spike--Rejaul Karim Byron

High on plans, low on implementation
--
Sharier Khan

One hurrah from upazila polls --Shakhawat Liton & Hasan Jahid Tusher

Promises not kept--Shariful Islam

Health sector gets out of sickbed--Mahbuba Zannat

Terror being tackled with 'iron hand’--Julfikar Ali Manik & Shariful Islam

Govt smartly pursuing thaw in thorny ties
--Rezaul Karim

Steps left a lot to be desired -- Tawfique Ali
One year on, Government in spotlight
Manpower stays out in the cold-- Porimol Palma
Anti-graft body hamstrung--Emran Hossain

Economy survives recession scare-- Rejaul Karim Byron


More said than done
-
-MD Hasan

Judiciary separated but not free yet
--Ashutosh Sarkar


Worst averted, politically
--Julfikar Ali Manik

Farmers make govt smile--Reaz Ahmad

Save river vow awaits result--Pinaki Roy

Education with vision--Wasim Bin Habib




 

 

Health sector gets out of sickbed
Moves to restart 11,000 community clinics, hire nurses

Mahbuba Zannat

This photo taken on August 24 last year shows four-year-old Eva fighting acute renal failure at Dhaka Shishu Hospital. She died on August 27 days after the intake of toxic Paracetamol syrup of Rid Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Photo: SK Enamul Haq

In its one year the Awami League government has taken various initiatives in health sector including manpower recruitment, restarting the community clinics and holding of admission test centrally in private medical colleges.

With a view to providing primary health care services to all, the government has taken initiatives to restart the 11,000 community clinics, which were set up during its previous regime and were left totally unused for last seven years.

The government aims at establishing one community clinic for every 6,000 people and by this time over 8,000 community clinics have restarted already while establishment of more community clinics are underway.

As the health sector presented a miserable facade for lack of expert manpower, the government has started the process of recruiting some 4,133 doctors on ad hoc basis and around 3,000 nurses.

Recruitment of more 13,000 manpower against the vacant posts of health assistants, family welfare assistants, directors and deputy directors is also under process. These posts have been lying vacant for over five years.

The government has upgraded the status of the nurses from 3rd grade to 2nd grade to increase their dignity and quality. Besides, introducing admission through a centrally conducted system in the private medical colleges to upgrade the private medical education and doing drug procurement centrally to curb corruption of the civil surgeons have achieved acclamation of the people.

Introducing the new packets on the drugs, which are supplied in the public hospitals free of cost is under way to avoid its illegal selling in the markets.

"The specially designed packages with red and green colour will be distributed in the public hospitals only free of cost. Stern action will be taken against those who will sell these drugs in the markets," Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque had earlier said.

The government has also amended the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Act to make it an active organisation for controlling the quality of medical education as well as its services and also working on preparing a health policy to make the health sector more vibrant.

To digitalise the health sector, the government has provided computers with Internet connections at 800 health care points. Besides, web cams have been given to the civil surgeons offices for holding video conferences.

Some 102 ambulances have been provided to the upazila health complexes and district civil surgeons' offices.

Despite these positive initiatives, the government was criticised highly for politicising the health sector and interfering in the election of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) during the one-year rule of AL government.

Soon after the government's assuming power, massive transfers and promotions took place at hospitals, medical colleges and other medical institutions. What the immediate past BNP led four-party alliance government did during its period, the AL government just followed that tradition.

More than a thousand supporters of the pro-BNP DAB were transferred randomly.

Because of random transfer, many of the specialised doctors quit the government services and joined private medical colleges that ultimately hinder the services at the public health sector.

Besides, pressured by the Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad with the health minister as its president, the government allegedly promoted less qualified doctors superceding the seniors.

Even there are some allegations of irregularities in the recruitment of its assistant professors and professors and other important posts at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, the lone autonomous medical university in the country.

Allegation of massive extortion by the Diploma Nurses Association with the nexus of the Directorate of Nursing Services also came up. No action is taken based on the report of the committee formed to investigate the matter.

Admitting the fact, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mozibur Rahman Fakir has said that it is disappointing that the health ministry is yet to take any action against its corrupt high officials.

The government also manipulated the BMA election that was held in November 5. This is the first time, the government directly interfered in a professional body's election, which forced the opposition party to boycott the election.

Even prior to the BMA election, extortion of the Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad could not be checked out at different hospitals, medical colleges and institutes.

After taking oath as the health minister, Prof AFM Ruhal Haque had said, "The health policy will be finalised within three months." But it is yet to be finalised.

The socio-economic condition of the nation will not be improved if the health sector cannot be improved and every government should keep it in mind," said Prof Rashid E Mahbub, former president of BMA and Pro-vice chancellor of BSMMU.

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