Parliamentary body on health ministry meeting this afternoon after a 9-month recess

The parliamentary watchdog on health and family welfare ministry that remained invisible for the last nine months, is finally going to hold a meeting this afternoon.

The meeting will be held at 3:00pm at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the parliament secretariat said in a press release.

Asked about the meeting agenda, Awami League MP Muhibur Rahman Manik, a member of the parliamentary standing committee, told The Daily Star that they will discuss overall health issues regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.

He further said the meeting was convened finally after a nine-month recess due to widespread criticism in the media.

The parliamentary standing committee on health ministry did not hold a single meeting, let alone make a visible move since March when the first cases of the coronavirus were detected in the country, putting the healthcare services under strain and exposing corruption and mismanagement in the health sector.

Since it was formed in January 2019, the JS body met only six times, officials said. As a result, the committee could not ensure accountability and transparency in the health ministry.

According to JS procedure rules, a standing committee must meet at least once a month.

There are 39 parliamentary standing committees that are supposed to examine bills, review different activities of the ministry concerned, enquire into irregularities, and make recommendations.

Committee Chairman Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim on December 20 said he couldn't hold meetings due to the countrywide lockdown from late March.