In the health sector, ensuring proper treatment of the victims of the student-people movement in July and August was a priority to the interim government. But it is yet to be done properly, despite various efforts.
Also, there have been promotions and transfers of officials at different levels, beyond regular practices. This triggered significant criticism in different quarters.
Under the previous Awami League regime, widespread irregularities in the health sector mainly stemmed from appointments and promotions on political considerations. Another predicament was rampant corruption in procurement by businesses with government blessings.
The Awami League government was driven out through an uprising on 5 August, and the current interim government took office on 8 August.
After the government’s 100 days in office, experts pointed out a different form of political dominance in the health sector – this time under the banner of professional organisations. It is contradictory to the aspirations of the mass uprising. They also observed that the health sector still lacks the attention it actually deserves.
While talking to Prothom Alo, Kazi Saifuddin Bennor, convener of civil society organisation Sushasther Bangladesh, said it is crucial to ensure proper treatment to students and people who were injured in the July Revolution on a priority basis, but a noticeable deficit remains here. Also, there is a lack of coordination in the transfer and promotion of physicians.
He believes the health ministry is yet to be free from corruption.
Treatment of the injured
In an interview with Prothom Alo in late August, health advisor Nurjahan Begum said ensuring proper treatment to the injured would be a priority.
According to the interim government, a total of 872 people were martyred, and 19,931 were injured during the July-August uprising, although the figures are yet to be finalised.
There have been criticisms over delay in treatment of the injured. A significant number of injured protesters staged demonstrations in front of the secretariat and the chief adviser’s residence, alleging that they were not given proper treatment.
Lastly, a group of under-treatment protesters demonstrated at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) on 13 August, when the health adviser, along with the British high-commissioner, went there to visit them.
They blocked the approach road of the hospital when the adviser was leaving the hospital around 1:00 pm. They demanded better treatment abroad, financial assistance, and a meeting with the health adviser. They continued the blockade until 1:00 am as the adviser did not turn up there.
The next day, six advisers and a special assistant from the interim government met with the injured at the secretariat. In the meeting, the authorities decided to ensure better treatment, rehabilitation, and employment for the injured.
A list of major works, achievements and action plans of the health sector since the interim government assumed power has been found. At the beginning of the list, there is a description of what the ministry has done for the injured.
It says the government has taken various steps including formulating policies to ensure proper treatment, formation of the July Shaheed Smrity Foundation, providing treatment free of cost, consultation with physicians abroad and bringing them and sending people with critical injuries abroad. Besides, financial assistance is being provided.
The health ministry and the July Shaheed Smrity Foundation unveiled their action plan for the coming day in a press briefing in the capital on Thursday.
Transfer, adversity and unrest
Pro-Awami League physicians’ organisation Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (SWACHIP) is cornered now. However, the clash between pro-Jamaat and pro-BNP physicians over important posts is coming to light after the fall of the Awami League government.
Officials of the ministry and at different hospitals say pro-BNP organisation Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) and pro-Jamaat National Doctors Forum (NDF) are putting pressure on the administration in different ways. They have directly rejected several decisions taken by the ministry. They are obstructing the works in many ways.
Professor Robed Amin was appointed the director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Both DAB and NDF opposed the appointment. Robed Amin could even take charge. Later, a new director general was appointed by the ministry.
For the last 16 years, important posts like principal of government medical colleges, director government medical college hospital, civil surgeon, superintendents of Sadar hospitals and project director were occupied by the SWACHIP. They have been removed from these posts. The main dispute between the DAB and the NDF is over this.
DAB president professor Harun Ar Rashid told Prothom Alo, “Several significant posts are vacant now. However, it has not been possible to recruit in these posts due to lack of manpower. The DAB has more manpower than the NDF. There are obstructions in some cases.”
Meanwhile NDF general secretary professor Mahmud Hossain told Prothom Alo, “We want a rational part. We want competent and honest people in the posts. Besides, the physicians who have been subjected to discrimination should be under consideration.”
Many of those who have been deprived during the AL-rule are in the priority list. However, many of the physicians who have been transferred are facing adversity in some cases.
For instance, an assistant professor of the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute was transferred to the Rangpur Medical College. After that, some physicians at the Rangpur Medical College openly announced that they would not let a physician, who has been transferred from Dhaka, to join work there. The same happened to another professor from the Khulna Medical College Hospital. He was transferred to Jashore. However, a group of physicians in Jashore opposed the move. There are several other instances.
Willing to be unnamed, a top official of the health ministry told Prothom Alo that a volatile situation is prevailing in some hospitals and colleges. Some physicians are being transferred over personal disputes. So it cannot be said that all the moves are made to quell discrimination.
Following the regime change, the secretaries of the Directorate General of Medical Education and Health Services Division have been changed twice.
Reform
The interim government has formed a commission headed by national professor Azad Khan for health sector reform. The commission hasn’t held any meeting as of yesterday. Before this, the government formed an expert committee headed by former Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) principal MA Fayez. However, he resigned even before the committee started its operation.
Apart from the treatment of the injured students and people of the movement, the works of the health ministry in the last 100 days were quite similar to its regular works under the Awami League government.
For instance, the ministry has provided a list of 14 works on the treatment of dengue patients and prevention of the disease. It also prepared a list of initiatives taken for the promotion of physicians and nurses and for filling up the vacant posts. Besides, the ministry also developed a 14-point reform plan.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Dhaka University Health Economic Institute professor Syed Abdul Hamid said, “I don't see any notable improvement. We recommended the formation of a search committee for transfers and postings. The problems would have been much less if recruitment and selection process were done through a search committee. This situation would not have been like this then.”
*This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Misbahul Haque and Ashish Basu