Alternative steps if doctors fail to attend rural areas: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina distributes vehicles among the civil surgeons and ambulances to the district and upazila level hospitals in Osmani Memorial Auditorium compound in the city yesterday.Photo: PID
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday warned that the government would look for alternatives if the doctors fail to attend their duties regularly in the rural areas. “You have to remain in your posted area; otherwise, there is always an alternative,” she told the doctors. The PM was addressing a function marking the distribution of vehicles to the civil surgeons and ambulances to the district and upazila level hospitals. Health department under the Health and Family Welfare Ministry organised the function at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. Hasina handed over the keys of 57 vehicles to the civil surgeons and of 159 ambulances to the authorities concerned of district and upazila level hospitals. The premier said it is often observed that many doctors at the upazila level do not attend their offices regularly. As a result, the mass people are deprived of better healthcare facilities from the government hospitals. “Even the doctors, who are appointed on ad-hoc basis, also refrain from attending their offices regularly,” Hasina said. She cautioned that if the doctors appointed on ad-hoc basis are found negligent in their duties, they would be summarily dismissed. “And there is also alternatives to deal with the doctors who were appointed on regular basis,” the PM said. In this connection, she said the civil surgeons would be held responsible if the doctors do not attend duties regularly in their respective areas. Hasina said the mass people expect a lot from the doctors and they consider the doctors as their saviours when they face any health related problem. “You [doctors] have to show the highest respect to the mass people.” She reminded the doctors that during their student life in medical colleges, their parents spent a lot of money. But the major portion of their expenses came from the mass people. “For your study, the government has to spend a lot and the money comes from the taxes paid by the mass people.” The PM said that the foremost duty of the doctors would be to provide services to the mass people. She expressed the hope that the health service-delivery by the doctors in the rural areas would improve significantly, as the government had provided them with vehicles, which was an election pledge of the present government. Hasina said, “From now on, we would not expect any allegation from the mass people that the doctors are not providing services in the rural areas.” She also laid emphasis on more research works to help provide better healthcare facilities to the people, and said the government would provide all sorts of facilities for research works. “The government will save the country from the corrupt people, interest-mongers and bribe-takers,” she said.
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