Central medical board approval required for July Uprising victims to travel abroad
The government has formed a Central Medical Board to ensure advanced medical treatment for those injured in the 2024 July Uprising.
From now on, any injured person must obtain approval from the board before being sent abroad for treatment, according to a recent office order issued by the Health Services Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The order, issued by the Government Health Management-1 branch of the Health Services Division, states that the Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) will serve as the convener of the Central Medical Board, while the Director (Hospitals & Clinics) of the Directorate General of Health Services will act as the board's member secretary.
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The board will also include the Commandant of Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Dhaka, the Director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, the Director of the National Institute of Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation, and the Director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital as members.
The office order states that the central board will review and verify recommendations from previously formed specialised medical boards for the treatment of uprising victims.
It will also examine proposed cases for treatment abroad from any health institution in the country, provide opinions, and inform the Health Services Division and the Ministry of Liberation Affairs.
The board may co-opt additional members if necessary, the order adds. It will take immediate effect with the approval of the appropriate authorities, in public interest.
According to the government gazette, 13,800 people were injured in the July Uprising.
Of these, 75 have already been sent abroad for advanced treatment, while a further 50 have been identified for overseas treatment.
The total expenditure for these treatments and follow-ups is Tk78.52 crore. Some injured individuals have been sent abroad multiple times for follow-up care.
Dr Moinul Ahsan, director (hospitals) of the Directorate General of Health Services, noted that previously, injured individuals were sent abroad based on recommendations from separate specialized medical boards.
Now, as the number of severely injured has decreased, a single central board has been formed, and approval from this board is mandatory for uprising victims seeking treatment abroad, he added.
