Over 16,000 Rohingya women are pregnant: Health minister

More than 16 thousands of Rohingya women, who fled to Bangladesh following persecution in Rakhine state of Myanmar, are pregnant, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim said today.

Meanwhile, nurses and midwives have aided the normal delivery of 173 babies in health centre set up in the Rohingya refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, the minister added.

“Our trained nurses and midwives are taking their highest care,” Nasim, also an advisory council member of the ruling Awami League, said this while addressing a press conference at the ministry office in Dhaka this afternoon.

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As part of voluntary health services, around 52, 605 Rohingya children were given rubella and polio vaccine while 12, 675 children were fed vitamin a capsules in Ukhia and Teknaf upazilas of Cox’s Bazar, he added.

Besides, 2, 364 Rohingyas people who sustained serious injuries in the persecution were given medical assistance by voluntary medical teams of the government, the minister said.

Apart from this, around 3,520 Rohingya people are affected by diarrhoea, 7,969 suffering from respiratory infection and 2,335 from skin diseases, he said adding that they were also treated by a voluntary medical team of the government.

Nasim informed that a total of 12 health centers are underway to be set up at the refugee camp to ensure treatment facilities of the Rohingya people, he said.

Following the ethnic cleansing began on August 25 in Rakhine state of Myanmar, around 4.5 lakh Rohingyas people have been forced to flee Bangladesh.

Citing the facts, Nasim called upon the world’s influential countries to mount pressure on Myanmar so that it is forced to take back its citizens who have forced to flee to Bangladesh in the face of persecution.

“Influential countries of the world will have to put pressure on Myanmar so that the country will take back its citizens,” he said.