PM urges physicians to cater for needy
Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina yesterday called upon the physicians to help make the medical service available for the common people, especially the poor, who cannot spend huge amounts of money.
"You have to keep in mind that each person in the country has to spend hard-earned money to pay physicians. So it is your sacred duty to pay the debt of the common people by rendering improved and proper services to them," she said.
The PM was laying the foundation stone of OPD Bhaban, basic science complex, 140-bed ICU and OT complex and inaugurating the Autism Bhaban under 2nd phase of the project.
The project is being implemented to turn the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) into a centre of excellence.
Planning Minister Air Vice Marshal (Retd) A K Khandakar, Health Minister Prof Dr Ruhal Haque, Health Adviser to the Prime Minister Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali and Treasurer of the university Prof Dr Moazzem Hossain also spoke on the occasion with Vice-Chancellor of BSMMU Prof Dr Pran Gopal Dutta in the chair.
Laying emphasis on strengthening research on medical science, the prime minister said BSMMU has to expedite its research programmes along with improving services in the greater national interest.
"You have to conduct research on how you can provide better treatment for the people through optimum utilisation of limited resources," she told the BSMMU authorities.
In this context, she said there is no significant research on health sector in our hands although talented students are studying in the country's medical colleges.
Citing some examples of developed countries, she called upon the pharmaceutical companies in the country to provide support along with the government for conducting research in the health sector.
The PM urged the affluent persons of society to come forward for infrastructure development in the health sector. "If anybody donates in the health sector, we will rebate tax of the money," she added.
Sheikh Hasina also emphasised the need for increasing efforts of imparting nursing training through setting up nursing institutes up to district level considering the nurses' demand at home and abroad.
She also asked the authorities concerned to encourage girl students to build their career in nursing profession.
The PM said her previous government had established BSMMU to strengthen research on medical science and upgrade health care service to international standard.
But she regretted that the past BNP-Jamaat government turned the country's lone medical university into a den of corruption and mismanagement.
After coming to power in 2001, the BNP-Jamaat government recruited incompetent teachers indiscriminately in the university that seriously hampered her previous government efforts to ensure quality of education there.
Sheikh Hasina said adding to that the then management "shamelessly" spent the fund, given by her previous government for the treatment of poor patients in BSMMU.
The PM said her present government after assuming office took up massive programmes for improving quality of education and strengthening research in health sector.
"We have allocated Tk 485 crore in the current fiscal for infrastructural development of the university along with taking programmes for expansion of a number of buildings," she added.
Elaborating various programmes undertaken by her government in health sector, she said her previous government took a programme to set up 18,000 community clinics across the country to reach health care facilities to the doorsteps of people.
But, she said the BNP-Jamaat government suspended the projects that deprived the common people from getting proper medical services.
The PM said her government has taken massive programmes for using modern technology in the health sector.
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