Action needed, not denial, against corrupt persons in the health sector

Transparency International's (TIB) study titled “Tackling Coronavirus Crisis: Good Governance Challenge in Covid-19 Vaccine Management" highlighted corruption and irregularities in the health sector.

Among the corruption and weaknesses identified in the report are the Ministry of Health's failure to increase ICUs, ventilators and so on as planned, even after one year and three months of the pandemic, the failure to ensure 10 ICU beds in all districts despite having the budget and equipment, leaving equipment unused, and failing to provide the second jab to more than 1.3 million people. The TIB commented that there was a lack of planning, lack of coordination and lack of transparency in the procurement of vaccines.

Although the National Committee and the BMRC approved a vaccine trial of a Chinese company, the trial effort was halted due to lack of response from the Ministry of Health. Later, the government decided to get the vaccine from China and Russia, but the complications have not been resolved yet. The health minister acknowledged that China was unhappy with the price leak. On the other hand, foreign minister MA Momen said that due to the incompetence of the Ministry of Health, procurement of vaccines from China and Russia has been delayed.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque called the TIB report "false and ill-motivated" and said it had become fashion for many to accuse the health sector of corruption. But TIB is not the only one to talk about irregularities in the health sector. Almost all the media have published news on irregularities of the health sector throughout the year. The ministry could not refute the information-based and objective news.

The minister said that no one could show any major corruption in the health sector except the testing fraud in a private hospital, corruption of a driver or the corruption by an employee or lack of transparency of another official. Fraud in corona tests, corruption in buying PPEs, bribery in recruitment, importing much needed medical equipment from abroad and leaving it at the airport did not seem big corruption to him.

So which is the biggest corruption? The minister claimed that everything was going well in the health ministry. So why did the former director general of the DGHS have to quit?

When the minister has turned a blind eye to what is happening in his ministry, we can take look at what the elected MPs have said in the Jatiya Sangsad. Members of the government, the opposition or government allies are sharply criticising the corruption, irregularities and inefficiency of the health ministry. Some have also demanded the resignation of the health minister.

Therefore, instead of the usual denial, the health minister should identify the problems and take immediate action. He mentioned a low-ranking employee. But where are those who have indulged this employee? It is time to take legal action against all those who were and still are involved in the irregularities and corruption in the health ministry.

The minister must keep in mind that the criticism will not disappear if he just turns a blind eye.