Investigation underway into vaccine shortage and measles deaths: Health Secretary
The government has launched an investigation into the vaccine shortage and the deaths of children from measles. The probe will examine why so many children died from measles and whether there was any negligence involved. The findings of the investigation will be disclosed to journalists and the public.
Bangladesh Health Reporters Forum (BHRF) organised a roundtable titled “Measles Outbreak and the Way Forward” today at Bangladesh Medical University. Health Services Division Secretary Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury spoke there about the investigation committee.
The secretary of the Health Services Division attended the event as a special guest. Before beginning his speech, a journalist asked him whether there would be any investigation into the vaccine shortage and the measles situation.
Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury replied, “We are working on it.”
Journalists then asked whether the investigation would begin or had already begun. The health secretary responded that the investigation had already started and the work was ongoing.
He later said the investigation would determine why the children were lost and whether there had been any negligence on anyone’s part.
However, the secretary did not answer questions regarding who was included in the investigation committee or when it had been formed. He did say that the results of the investigation would be shared with journalists and everyone else.
Others present at the event included Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Professor Prabhat Chandra Biswas; public health experts Benazir Ahmed, Mushtaq Hossain, and Abdus Sabur; University of Dhaka teacher Syed Abdul Hamid; Secretary General of Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) Zahirul Islam Shakil; vaccine expert Tajul Islam E Bari; virologist Khandakar Mahbuba Jamil; and Dean of the Dental Faculty at Bangladesh Medical University Sakhawat Hossain Sayont.
The keynote paper was presented by Professor Mirza Ziaul Islam, head of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute. Representatives from UNICEF and the World Health Organisation were also present. The event was moderated by BHRF president Pratik Ejaj.