Grassroots people deprived of proper health services
Speakers tell view exchange meeting
Speakers at a view exchange meeting yesterday said the people at grassroots level are deprived of proper health services due to mismanagement and lack of coordination in the health care system.
The meeting titled ''Public physicians and treatment at grassroots level'' was held at the National Press Club in the city, organised by Health Rights Movement National Committee prior to the Human Rights Day on December 10.
They said shortage of human resources at the grassroots level in the public health service is also an immense problem.
"Following a survey, we have found the government recruited some 4,133 doctors recently. Unfortunately, 47 percent of them don't attend their workplaces regularly", said the Committee President Prof Rashid E Mahbub.
Criticising the dilly-dally in formulating the National Health Policy, the leaders said different parties are trying to give input to the policy only to serve their own interest, not to serve the grassroots level people.
Human Rights Commission Chairman Prof Dr Mizanur Rahman, however, said it is more important to consider health rights as fundamental rights rather than merely to portray it as a policy matter.
"We need to ensure health rights first so people can go to the court whenever their rights to health are violated," he said while speaking as the chief guest.
" The health service system has been dipped in enormous deception and if we cannot come out of it, ensuring health services at the grassroots level will be impossible," said Prof Mizanur.
Medical practice has become a 'great business' from the ''great profession,'' he said, adding that “Our approach should be rights based but duty oriented.”
He also suggested that medical curriculum should incorporate fieldwork at the village (treating grassroots people) level for four to six weeks for all the medical students.
Criticising the insignificant number of human resources at the community clinics even after two years of their revitalisation, the Directorate General of Drug Administration and the single medicare system (treating only with the allopathic medicine), the speakers said resources and workforce should be allocated on the basis of medical
geography.
Dr Makhduma Nargis, director of community clinic project, Prof ABM Faroque of University of Dhaka, Milon Bikash Pal, executive director of PSTC, Sarder Arif of ActionAid Bangladesh, Dr Nitai Kanti Das, Dr Lelin Chowdhury of Health Rights Movement National Committee and representatives from different grassroots level organisations participated in the discussion.
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