Lack of accountability blamed for poor healthcare services
Launch of report on citizens' voice for women, child health told
People are often deprived of basic health services for the lack of accountability of the service providers and institutional incapability, said a ruling party lawmaker at a report launching in the capital yesterday.
No public service can be assured without accountability of relevant officials and transparency of the institutions, said Saber Hossain Chowdhury, the ruling Awami League lawmaker.
“But public officials like government physicians are not comfortable with their accountability to the people,” he said.
White Ribbon Alliance, a global campaign for safe childbirth and motherhood, along with World Vision Bangladesh launched the report on citizens' voice for women, child and adolescent health at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity.
Be it any institutions, there is inefficiency and it frustrates public service delivery and like many other institutions, the national parliament too has its own weaknesses, said Saber, president of Inter-Parliamentary Union.
People's participation in every sector of public service is a must to see the worth of public money, he said, adding that civic discourse on any issue of public interest is an effective way of ensuring accountability and transparency of public servants.
The alliance along with World Vision organised six citizens' hearings on the state of women, children and adolescent health in five districts in Bangladesh as part of 100 such public hearings in 20 countries.
Various social groups, youths and adolescent people, health officials, local leaders and professionals took part in the hearings and the findings and recommendations compiled were published and presented at the World Health Organization conference on September 25.
The foremost recommendations made during the Bangladesh hearings included demand for qualified doctors and adequate medicine at community clinics and monitoring, accountability of doctors and nurses, training of midwives, woman and child friendly hospitals with breast feeding corners and special programmes for the readymade garment sector.
Dr Farhana Ahmad, White Ribbon national coordinator, and World Vision Bangladesh Director Chandan Z Gomes presented the hearing report along with other associates.