NHCR to take legal action against irregular doctors
Says its chairman
National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh would monitor public hospitals with the help of students of respective localities and take legal action against doctors failing to attend their respective jobs, said the commission Chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman yesterday.
At a conference titled “Health Rights: Peoples' Expectation” at city's IDB auditorium, Mizanur said health service at union, upazila and district level is limping as most doctors draw salary without regularly going to hospitals.
The commission would also hand over an annual report to President Zillur Rahman on March 31 containing recommendation to label health as a 'right' in the constitution, he added. Shasthya Andolon, a non-government organisation, organised the daylong national conference where health experts highlighted flaws in the health system and discriminatory service pattern and placed recommendations to upgrade the system.
If making profit becomes the main purpose, ensuring health service to the poor would not be possible, they said, adding that imposing additional fees to run lab tests poses a negative impact on peoples' health service seeking behaviour.
Prof MQK Talukder criticised the government's dependency on donors and for not consulting experts before whimsically deciding to abolish the 15 year-old National Nutrition Programme.
The experts also said the draft National Health Policy emphasised more on treatment rather than prevention of diseases.
It would be more effective and viable to spend money on health education and prevention of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, said Dr Makhduma Nargis, additional secretary of the health ministry and project director of Community Clinic Project.
Member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health Dr M A Mannan, National Health Rights Movement National Committee President Prof Rashid E Mahbub, IEDCR Senior Scientific Officer Dr Mushtuq Husain, Health Movement Co-convener Prof Dr Naila Khan and Ubinig Executive Director Farida Akhter also spoke.
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