Adviser Nurjahan presents one year’s initiatives of interim govt in health sector 

Health and Family Welfare Adviser Nurjahan Begum today (7 August) said the government is continuing various programmes for bringing positive changes in the country's health sector, as benefits will be seen in the coming days.

She said this at a press conference on the achievements of the interim government in the health sector in the past one year and future reform plans at the Shaheed Abu Sayed International Convention Centre.

Regarding the necessary steps to be taken for the proper treatment of those injured in the July Uprising, Nurjahan said, more than 14,000 people were injured.

So far, the names of 13,811 injured in the uprising have been added to the list of the health ministry, she said, adding that the number of verified injured people published in the gazette is 12,042.

In addition, as soon as the information of the injured in different parts of the country is received, it is verified by the district civil surgeon and included in the MIS system, as well as their treatment and rehabilitation process has been ensured, said the adviser.

She said a total of 40 July injured were sent abroad for better treatment from the Health Services Division. Of them, 26 patients received treatment in Thailand, 13 in Singapore and one patient in Russia, she mentioned, adding all these patients mainly suffered from serious injuries to the eyes, limbs, brain and spinal cord.

She said as of 27 July, the Health Services Division has sent a list of 104 patients to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs for sending them abroad for advanced treatment based on the recommendations of the Medical Board.

Out of these, 38 patients have been sent abroad for advanced treatment by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, she said.

Nurjahan said currently, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs is in the process of sending more injured patients to foreign hospitals in light of the recommendations of the Medical Board in collaboration with the Health Services Division.

As of 27 July, a total of 78 people have been sent abroad for advanced treatment from the Health Services Division and the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, she said, adding that even after the local doctors provided the best treatment, the government ensured treatment by bringing specialist doctors from 7 countries of the world. 

So far, 26 specialist doctors from Singapore, Nepal, France, the United States, China, the United Kingdom and Thailand have come to Bangladesh to provide medical care to those injured in the movement and have completed surgeries on several injured people, she mentioned.

The adviser said the Health Services Division will assist in advanced treatment and rehabilitation of injured patients.

July injured people are being provided with health cards to receive free health care in government hospitals for life, she said.

The adviser said health cards have already been distributed to 7,363 people among the 12,042 gazetted July fighters.

In order to improve the quality of food for the patients, allocation for per patient's food has been increased from Tk175 to Tk250, she said.

The adviser said free hospital bed services have been provided to the injured.

The government has taken the initiative to set up a robotic physiotherapy centre with the help of China to provide high-quality treatment to the paralysed July victims, she said, adding that for this purpose, a modern robotic physiotherapy centre has been set up at the Bangladesh Medical University.

It will be possible to provide high-quality physiotherapy treatment to about 300 patients every day, she said.

The adviser said the robotic physiotherapy centre will have 62 advanced robotic therapy units, out of which 22 will be operated with artificial intelligence.

Through this, a state-of-the-art technology will be added to the world of physiotherapy in Bangladesh. In addition to those injured in the July Uprising, the door will be opened to other patients to receive services from this centre, she said.

Regarding the medical structure, promotion and recruitment, she said, as part of improving the professional status and working environment of doctors, the interim government has decided to promote about 7,000 doctors.

For the first time, a large-scale promotion of doctors has been taken by creating supernumerary posts, she said, adding that a large number of doctors have already been promoted to the posts of professor, associate professor, director, junior consultant and so on.

She said the process of promoting about 800 doctors to the post of professor in 86 disciplines has started through the Superior Selection Board (SSB).

After the promotion process for vacant posts, about 6,000 more doctors will be promoted to various posts on the supernumerary post, she said.

The adviser said the government has accelerated the recruitment process to solve the manpower crisis including doctors in the health sector.

Activities are underway to recruit 3,000 doctors through the 48th Special BCS, she said, adding interviews are being held at the PSC while the recruitment process for more than 3,500 doctors is also underway through the 45th, 46th and 47th BCS examinations.

She said that through all these initiatives, medical services can be ensured at the marginal level and the doctor crisis will be alleviated to a large extent.

Not only doctors, the recruitment process of 3,512 senior staff nurses has already been completed through PSC and the posting process is now underway, she said.

In addition, the recruitment process of 900 more senior staff nurses is under process, and the proposal for the creation of posts for 5,000 senior staff nurses and 4,000 midwives has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance, she added.

Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Professor Dr Md Sayedur Rahman, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, Health Services Division Secretary Md Saidur Rahman, Medical Education and Family Welfare Division Secretary Dr Md Sarwar Bari, among others, were present.