Dodgy doctors warned

MEDICARE IN A SHAMBLES: A benevolent pedestrian, on the right of the bottom left photo, brings an unconscious man who fell victim to ogyan party at Mirpur to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a taxi. He had to face a 20-minute-long police enquiry, right, and haggle the fare with an agent of the taxi driver, left photo, at the hospital gate before he could admit the victim to the emergency yesterday. It took the pedestrian 20 more minutes before he could get a doctor to examine the victim, top. This kind of hassle puts off people helping others in distress and raises questions about the emergency care the government provides. Photo: Rashed Shumon

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday sounded tough warning that the government will take stern action against the doctors who will not attend duties at the rural hospitals regularly.
“I request you to attend your respective hospitals regularly in the rural areas… if you don't do your duties properly, stern action will be taken,” she said while inaugurating the World Breastfeeding Week-2010 at the city's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the morning.
This year the Breastfeeding Week is being observed with the theme: Breastfeeding Just 10 Steps, the Baby-Friendly Way!
“We all get salaries from the taxes paid by the mass people. None has the right to ignore the common people's rights,” the premier said.
She asked the physicians not attending offices in the remote areas regularly to ask their own conscience whether they are doing the right thing.
“It is the official and moral duty of all to serve the interests of the people. Why people would suffer due to indifference of the physicians in the rural areas?”
In this regard, Hasina cited the example of Gynaecology Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where more than 35 gynaecologists are posted.
“Does the DMCH unit need so many gynaecologists? There are many hospitals in the country where mothers do not get timely and proper services of gynaecologists,” she said.
The PM announced that the government will soon appoint nutritionist at every hospital in a bid to ensure ideal health of the child, mother and all others.
She gave the directive for amending the Alternative Baby Food Marketing Ordinance-1984 to make it time befitting in line with the proposals on baby food, nutrition and health adopted in the World Health Conference 2010.
She also issued an order for setting up breastfeeding corners and day-care centres at all institutions, including government offices, banks, schools, colleges and shopping malls for greater interest of the mothers.
“An ideal environment is a must for breast feeding. Our mothers have to be given such environment wherever they go,” she said.
Hasina said the last Awami League government had introduced day-care centres and breastfeeding corners at the offices, but the last BNP-Jamaat government had closed those.
However, these have been reactivated again and steps taken for setting up new day-care centres and breastfeeding corners, she added.
The PM in her speech reiterated the government's desire to increase maternity leave to six months from the present four months.
“I think maternity leave should be of six months as breastfeeding is suggested at least for six months after the baby's birth,” she said.
“Nowadays parents do not take so many children as in the past; so it will not cause any harm to official duties if the maternity leave is extended to six months.”
Hasina said the process is already underway to appoint 13,500 health workers for the community health clinics while more 582 physicians will be appointed soon. Already 3,000 new physicians have been appointed on ad-hoc basis.
On breastfeeding, she said it has to be ensured that the mothers breastfeed the babies within one hour of birth.
The premier emphasised on massive campaigns to make mothers as well as fathers aware about the importance of breastfeeding.
She also requested all particularly the husbands and other family members to be more attentive to a mother's health during pregnancy and after the birth of a baby.
The PM later went round an exhibition arranged on the occasion of the Breastfeeding Week at the lobby of the conference centre.
Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, PM's Health Adviser Syed Mudasser Ali and State Minister for Health Capt (retd) Mojibur Rahman Fakir, among others, addressed the function chaired by Health Secretary Humayun Kabir.