STAFF CORRESPONDENT
At least 14 lawmakers of ruling Awami League and opposition parties yesterday expressed dissatisfaction over their constituents not getting proper healthcare services from upazila health complexes and district hospitals.
Speaking during the question-answer session in parliament, they also said there were shortages of doctors, nurses and other healthcare staffers in their constituencies.
The treasury and opposition MPs also said many doctors and nurses who were posted to upazila health complexes did not stay there.
In their speeches, AL lawmakers Dhirendra Debnath and Zillul Hakim said people in their areas were not getting healthcare services for lack of physicians and healthcare staffers.
Another senior MP of AL, Shajahan Khan, said a 50-bed hospital in his area was increased to a 250-bed one. But people did not reap the benefit as the healthcare facility did not have the required number of doctors and nurses.
“Earlier in parliament, I raised the same issue before the health minister and he assured me of providing the hospital with additional doctors and healthcare staffers. But no measures have been taken yet.”
AL lawmaker SM Shahzada said he was in a big trouble as the condition of the lone health complex in Golachipa upazila in his constituency -- Patuakhali-3 -- was very bad.
The health complex was established a long time ago. Several buildings inside this health complex have been declared abandoned due to their dilapidated condition. People of Rangabali and Golachipa upazilas get treatment from this healthcare facility, he added.
The lawmaker said, “I wrote to the [health] minister two and a half years ago for a new health complex. But I haven’t got it yet.”
Moshiur Rahman Ranga, Jatiya Party MP and opposition chief whip, said costly equipment used in kidney dialysis and cancer treatment remains unused in a hospital in his area for years due to shortage of operators.
BNP MP Rumeen Farhana said due to the government inefficiency, the health ministry failed to spend a major portion of the money allocated in the development budget.
AL MPs Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Moazzem Hossain Ratan, Shahiduzzaman, Bikolpodhara Bangladesh MP Abdul Mannan, Gonoforum MP Mokabbir Khan and Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid also criticised the health minister.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque admitted that there was a lack of doctors and healthcare staffers in different hospitals and health complexes.
He, however, said many doctors and nurses were recruited during the pandemic, and more would be appointed soon.
QUESTION-ANSWER
During the question-answer session, Maleque told the House that the government has a plan to vaccinate 80 percent people, and all nationals aged above 5 would come under the Covid inoculation coverage.
Bangladesh has so far received 29 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Of them, the government purchased 18 crore shots and got 11 crore doses under the Covax facilities for free, he said while replying to a query from Jatiya Party lawmaker Mujibul Haque Chunnu.