CHATTOGRAM, Sept 8, 2023 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today urged the physicians and other concerned with healthcare to make their all-out strides to increase public confidence further on them and reach the benefits of healthcare development to all.

 
"The government has taken various initiatives at the public and private levels to reach healthcare to people's doorsteps. All concerned should make further efforts as the people can enjoy the benefits and their confidence can be increased further on physicians and hospitals," he said.
 
Hasan was addressing as the chief guest an orientation and annual award distribution event of Chattogram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital Medical College at Agrabad in the port city.

"We want to take the country forward with our united efforts. We want to turn Bangladesh into a social welfare state side by side with making material development. The role of those involved in healthcare is very important to this end," he said.

Highlighting different development works in health sector, Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary, said many private and public medical colleges have been built in the last 15 years while about 12,000 community clinics, one for each six thousand people, have been built across the country.

The clinics are providing 30 types of free medicines which is nowhere in neighboring countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
 
After independence, average life expectancy was 39 years which is now 73 years surpassing that of India and Pakistan, he mentioned.

Asked why many patients go abroad including neighboring Indian cities of Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi, he said the country's physicians are meritorious but tendency of earning excessive profits by different hospitals and clinics is creating distrust on physicians and hospitals causing massive sufferings to commoners.

Describing malpractice of some medics and hospitals, he said, "In many cases it is seen there is no need to take a patient to ICU but he or she has been kept there. Despite realizing the patient will die, he or she has been put on life support. Such cases are very common now".

The Ministry of Health, Medical and Dental Council and Chattogram Medical University can also play a role in this regard, he said.

About Bangladesh's relations with outside world, the information minister said as the current president of the G20, host nation India, invited only Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from the sub-continent to attend it.

He said Russian foreign minister visited Bangladesh on Thursday while French prime minister will come on September 10.

Noting that several days back a security dialogue between Bangladesh and the United States was held, Hasan said the dialogue is testimony of Bangladesh's multifaceted cooperation and multidimensional relations with the US.

Urging the people to remain alert about the dengue outbreak, he hoped the government will be able to deal with the dengue situation with united efforts of all by raising consciousness among people successfully as it did so during Covid-19 pandemic.

Coming down heavily on BNP over its criticism on Awami League over dengue outbreak, he said it seems Awami League is responsible for aedes mosquito breeding.

Now they are out to spread propaganda over dengue, he said.
Hasan sarcastically said, "BNP is deadlier than dengue. Aedes mosquitoes bite people and BNP torches people alive."
 
Chattogram Maa-O-Shisu Hospital Managing Trustee Mohammad Rezaul Karim Azad presided over the function while Chattogram Medical University Vice-Chancellor Professor Md. Ismail Khan, Boards of Trustees' acting Chairman Syed Md. Morshed Hossain, Principal Professor Asim Barua spoke as the special guests.