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Editorial

Neglect at DMCH under fresh spotlight

Observations of HRC chief should bring a marked improvement
28 September 2010, 18:00 PM
EDITORIAL
The critical remarks of the chairman, National Human Rights Commission(NHRC), following his visit to different wards and units of Dhaka Medical College Hospital(DMCH) hardly come as a surprise. For, DMCH has had a rather deplorable public image -- for a long time, something that scathing newspaper reports have failed to change. But what hopefully should have a trigger effect on the authorities now to move into corrective action is the emphasis laid by him on public health being a rights issue. It is worth noting that the disparaging remarks have issued from a pre-announced visit in which case a spruced up look was sought to be presented. This is in a way an indicator of how worse things would be in normal times? NHRC chairman Professor Mizanur Rahman's finding that DMCH remains a neglected centre for the treatment of lower-middle class and the poorer segments should cut both ways. First, it is a pointer to government health bosses' indifference topped of by politicisation over time to DMCH affairs and the persistent need for capacity building in and expansion of DMCH. Secondly, and more to the point is the chronic mismanagement besetting the DMCH itself that needs to be reversed. We agree with the NHRC chief's diagnosis that in spite of the limitation of space and other logistics 'better service can still be offered to the patients' through improved management. Examples abound where such basics as wheelchairs or trolleys are not available to elderly or debilitated patients. This, even in a ward, claimed to be a 'model' one. Attendants wouldn't move if not bribed. The reply of one having been queried as to why a wheelchair was not provided to an elderly patient sounded typical of the attitude: 'it was not asked for'. Lack of information is symptomatic of a corrupt mentality. There is no list of medicines available neither one of those the patients need to buy. In the end, we welcome the NHRC's intervention and hope that there will be a close monitoring followed by an improvement of the state of medicare, especially for the common people who are so heavily reliant on DMCH, or for that matter, all public hospitals for treatment.

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