President calls on doctors to reduce fees
President Abdul Hamid yesterday urged specialist physicians to serve patients more sincerely and take an initiative to reduce their consultation fees as these are beyond common people’s capacity.
“You [doctors] are engaged in a profession which is highly respectable as well as important,” said the president.
He was addressing as chief guest the Seventh Biennial Conference of Bangladesh Community Ophthalmology Society at Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden hotel.
Mentioning that new technologies are emerging in medical science every day, Abdul Hamid urged physicians to be acquainted with the latest technologies and treatment techniques.
He also said physicians should remain careful so that patients are not deprived of necessary services in the name of unnecessary medical tests.
“The contributions of general people towards your position are not negligible as your expense of medical education came from people’s tax money. So, I think it’s your moral responsibility and duty to provide medical care to them,” said the president.
Describing medical service as people’s basic need, he said, “The government is making every effort to meet this demand. All necessary steps have been taken to ensure healthcare services at the grassroots level by creating physical infrastructure, appointing doctors and nurses and collecting advanced equipment.”
“But, it’s a matter of regret that doctors and nurses start lobbying for transfer if they’re posted outside district headquarters, even outside Dhaka or divisional cities which deprives people at upazila and union levels of getting the desired medical services,” said Abdul Hamid.
Stressing the need for creating awareness about eye diseases, the president said if awareness could be raised among people about primary eye care, it will be possible to reduce many eye diseases.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque and former president of All India Ophthalmological Society Dr Debashish Bhattacharya spoke at the programme while President of Ophthalmological Society of Bangladesh (OSB) Dr Prof Md Sharfuddin Ahmed presided over the event.
Prominent ophthalmologist Prof Dr Deen Mohammad Noorul Huq delivered welcome speech and OSB Secretary General Dr Inmur Rahman Choudhury was also present.
Six physicians were given awards for their outstanding services while seven were awarded with ‘Special Honourary Award’ at the programme.
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