TIB report on Covid response ‘false’

The latest TIB report on the government's response to Covid-19 consisted of "wrong information from the first to the last", Health Minister Zahid Maleque said yesterday.

"When the health sector was praised worldwide during the coronavirus crisis, the TIB has published a false report on the health sector," Zahid Maleque said.

As chief guest, he was addressing a virtual reminiscence programme marking the first death anniversary of Covid-19 martyr Dr Mahmud Monwar yesterday.

On Tuesday, the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), in a report titled "Tackling Coronavirus Crisis: Good Governance Challenge in Covid-19 Vaccine Management" said there was a lack of good governance in Covid testing, healthcare, enforcement of health safety guidelines, infection prevention, planning and procurement of vaccines, and implementation of the vaccination campaign.

It said the country was at high risk of another surge in Covid-19 infections due to the emergence of new Covid-19 variants, incapacity to prevent infections, and stalemate in the vaccination campaign.

Besides, the study said that legal procedures were not duly followed in procuring the vaccine doses, which "benefited a third party".

Coming down heavily on the TIB report, the health minister said, "They [TIB] has criticised the health sector [health ministry] grossly like rote learning by sitting inside the air-conditioned room."

In the report, the TIB said the Covid-19 testing and the treatment facility have not increased notably.

About it, the minister said, "But the number of Covid-19 testing lab has been increased to 510 from a single one while the number of beds is now more than 15,000 now."

He said, "There was only 200 ICU beds before [Covid-19]; now it has increased to more than 1,000."

The minister also dismissed the TIB's claim of "transparency lacking" on the Covid-19 vaccine procurement procedure.

"TIB mentioned that there was a lack of transparency in the vaccine procurement deal with India. It is not true at all. Everything of the deal with India was as clear as crystal and open. People know what was in the agreement and why India could not be able to give the rest of the vaccine," Zahid Maleque said.

He also termed the TIB criticism over Bashundhara Isolation Center, a priority list of vaccine campaign and service to the outbound passengers as "false from first to the last and ill-motivated.

"Meanwhile, they [TIB] has no role in tackling corona [outbreak] in the country. The health sector [staffers] worked in the ground."

He said only one hospital had a central oxygen supply system [before Covid-19] outbreak which now has been set up in 134 hospitals.

"People received treatment sitting at home through telemedicine service. There had been no shortage of medicine; there is sufficient stock of oxygen. However, misconception among people is being created through a gross presentation of false information."

Claiming that the acts of corruption found anywhere have been brought to book fast, the minister said, "Criticising the health sector has become a fashion. However, none can show the corruption of the health sector other than a testing scam of a private hospital, corruption of a driver or lower grade employee, or any individual official.

"Is there anybody who can show the corruption of taka hundreds of thousands crore? None can. Rather, crore of taka from other sectors has gone [been laundered] to Canada," the minister added.

He termed the TIB report as "fictional" and "unacceptable".

Presided over by Dr Mir Jamal Uddin, director of National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and Hospital, secretary of health services division Lokman Hossain Mian and Director General of health directorate Prof ABM Khurshid Alam participated in the event among others.