Ministry reluctant to protect doctors
Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) has accused the health ministry of reluctance to ensuring safety and security of doctors at workplace during coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter to Health Minister Zahid Maleque, BMA also mentioned that doctors were mostly infected with the virus because of "substandard protective gears, ICUs and lack of training".
Around 3,500 healthcare staffers, including 1,100 doctors, have so far been infected with Covid-19. At least 44 doctors and nurses and eight other healthcare staffers died of the virus, according to BMA.
"The ministry cannot avoid liability for such a national loss," members of BMA said in the letter which was sent to the minister on Saturday. The Daily Star obtained a copy of it.
In the letter, BMA also demanded for a separate hospital dedicated to the healthcare professionals within 72 hours. "Unless your [Zahid Maleque] ministry will be liable for any situation," they warned.
The association of medical professionals also blamed the health ministry and DGHS for their "irresponsiveness, reluctance, lack of farsightedness and coordination" in tackling the Covid-19 outbreak.
"We are offended and shocked at such behaviour of the ministry and the directorate general [DGHS]," they said.
"Infection and death of the doctors in such rate were not seen in any other country to date," read the letter signed by BMA President Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin and Secretary Ehteshamul Huq Choudhury.
The government has already faced huge criticism due to the supply of substandard personal protective equipment (PPE) including gowns and masks since the first two cases were reported on March 8.
Health experts have attributed the high mortality and infection rates of health workers to mainly lack of infection control measures, monitoring, and proper management at the hospitals by the authorities.
In a separate later to the minister, the BMA also protested the recent death of Dr Abdur Rakib Khan after being attacked by some relatives of a patient.
"Silence of your ministry after the death of the doctor has made us astonished," said the BMA officials in the letter.
They demanded to take necessary steps to adopt a law or ordinance safeguarding the doctors "as early as possible".
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