Health and family welfare adviser Nurjahan Begum on Sunday said that they were working to send 21 injured in the July mass uprising to Turkey and 31 to Pakistan for advanced treatment.
She also said that the Chinese government would gift Bangladesh a 1,000-bed hospital to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 鈥楾he hospital will be set up in Rangpur, fully funded by China as a gesture of goodwill on this occasion.鈥�
The adviser was addressing a press conference at the foreign service academy in Dhaka, where she provided details about the overall treatment of those injured in the July-August uprising last year.
She revealed that 864 people were killed and 14,000 others injured during the July mass uprising.
鈥榃hen we visited hospitals after taking charge, we found many patients without eyes, limbs, or hands. Our first step was to initiate the creation of a database. It was a difficult task to document how many had been martyred and how many were injured,鈥� she said.
She, however, mentioned that some cases were then undergoing verification, and without verification, assistance could not be provided.
Speaking about the treatment of the injured, Nurjahan Begum noted that during the movement, some injured individuals were denied treatment by hospital authorities.
The issue was eventually brought to the attention of the chief adviser for discussion, and the chief adviser replied that, if necessary, the injured should be sent abroad for treatment and a medical board should be formed.
鈥楾here is no air ambulance service in the country, so we have to be brought it in from abroad. Initially, there were also issues with arranging payment,鈥� she added.
The adviser said that so far, 40 people were sent abroad for treatment. Of them, 26 were sent to Bangkok, 13 to Singapore, and one to Russia.
鈥楢round 26 of these individuals have already returned home, while the rest are still undergoing treatment,鈥� she said. 鈥楢dditionally, a list of eight more patients has been prepared and sent to the ministry of liberation war affairs, and they too will be sent abroad for treatment.鈥�
Seeking greater support for the injured, she said that 700 individuals had lost their eyesight鈥攁mong them, 21 had lost both eyes while around 450 had lost one.
Former senior secretary of the health services division, Muhammad Humayun Kabir, director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital, Abul Khair, also spoke at the event.
Press secretary Shafiqul Alam, health services division secretary Md Saidur Rahman, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services Professor Md Abu Zafar, director of National Orthopaedic Hospital and Rehabilitation Institute Md Abul Kenan, and chief adviser鈥檚 senior assistant press secretary Foyez Ahammad were present.
