Health Policy 2011 and role of media

Photo: Zahedul I Khan

I am happy to see the present government's ambitious health policy. The headline news (The Daily Star; 31-05-2011) indicated that the government's emphasis is to serve our poor; satisfactorily! This is ambitious because several new agenda have been included. These are: i) Stopping private practice of GOB employed doctors, ii) Inclusion of Homeopathy, Ayurbedi & Unani medicines among GOB health service providers, & iii) Inclusion of health insurance in both public & private sectors. As it has been approved without the consensus of major service providers, meaning MBBS doctors' organizations as well as the corporate committees who will have to spend money for their employees, in the form of insurance; government should be aware of possible hindrance.
I am pleased to learn the concerns of Farida Akhter, co-convener of Health Movement, about preventive aspects of health. No health policy has brought the matter under consideration including that of mental health, in past. But it can be included now. Now when audio-visual media; i.e. TV and radio have been able to provide messages to grassroots level of our country, nutrition specialists and doctors' committees can provide a guideline on the preventive aspects of health to the people through the media. It would enrich the knowledge of illiterate, ignorant mothers.