Health system has 'collapsed'
AL-led alliance MPs tell House
At least 20 lawmakers of the Awami League-led alliance in parliament yesterday described the sorry state of public hospitals and health centres at upazila and district level in their respective areas.
Deeply frustrated and aggrieved, they said people are not getting healthcare as service system in those hospitals has "almost collapsed" due to lack of doctors, staff, medical equipment, and ambulances.
Taking part in a question-hour session, some of the MPs even said they do not want to add to the "shame or embarrassment" for the minister raising the same issue in the House.
“Less than two years are left for the present government. But I don't know how the health minister will materialise his promises on improving health service in the country”, senior AL leader Tofail Ahmed said, coming down heavily on the Health Minister AFM Ruhul Haque.
Amid clapping of lawmakers, another ruling party MP Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury told the minister, "Every time, you portray a rosy picture of the country's health sector. But the fact is the country's health management system has collapsed like it has in my Dinajpur district".
“I contacted him [health minister] many a time to address the poor conditions of Dinajpur hospital. Yet the situation remains same. People are facing immense sufferings due to lack of doctors and medical equipments”.
While replying to lawmakers' queries, the health minister repeated the same answer--he assured the lawmakers of resolving the problems.
He, however, recognised the poor conditions of different government hospitals and said in his defence, “There are lack of doctors in the country and at this stage we do not have immediate solution”.
He also said the government has moved to appoint over 6,000 doctors across the country.
Amid such words of the minister, several MPs including Jatiya Party's M Hafizuddin Ahmed said that from the beginning he [minister] was saying of recruiting doctors and staff, but nothing significant has been achieved to this end.
Speaking during the question hour, Tofail Ahmed said there are only 20 doctors in Bhola hospital against 80 posts. “Earlier I had submitted a notice in parliament wanting the government to send some doctors in that hospital. But I was so surprised to see that instead of sending new doctor in that hospital, the ministry has transferred two doctors”.
A disappointed Tofail added that people do not expect such behaviour from a government formed on the basis of a wholesale victory in the last election.
Muhibur Rahman Manik, an MP from Sunamganj, asked, "What do the three ministers [minister, state minister and health adviser] do in the health ministry? The country's health sector has plunged into darkness due to their [three ministers] mismanagement”.
In response, the minister said it was not fair to remind him of the same problems over and over again. “We are taking steps to resolve the problems”, he said, adding that the ministry will take steps to bring balance in the number of doctors of the government hospitals in the country.During the question-hour, some aggrieved MPs later asked the minister, when he would complete those tasks when less than two years are left for the present government.
Also expressing frustration over the sorry conditions of the government hospitals were lawmakers including Moqbul Hossain of Pabna, M Israfil Alam of Naogaon, Benajir Ahmed of Manikganj, Mostak Ahmed Ruhi of Netrokona, AFM Maruf Saqlan of Nilphamari, Tahura Ali [elected from reserved seat for women], Shawkat Momen Shajahan of Tangail, Shah Jikrul Ahmed of Brahmanbaria, and Shafiqul Islam of Jhenidah.
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