Chief adviser to the interim government Muhammad Yunus on Monday called upon the country鈥檚 civil surgeons to ensure discipline and accountability in the health sector to improve the service delivery to the people.
He asked the physicians to identify the lapses in the health sector on their own and make the best use of the existing situation by dedicating themselves to improving the healthcare system and thus contribute to building a new Bangladesh.
鈥榃e all are aware of the sickness of the health sector. If we blame each other for the situation, it would not improve. We need to change our mindset to change the situation,鈥� said Professor Yunus while addressing as聽 chief guest the inaugural session of the Civil Surgeons鈥� Conference-2025, the first of its kind, at his Tejgaon office in the capital Dhaka.
He said the health services can be improved to the extent of 25 per cent in the given situation if everyone concerned works sincerely with the manpower and resources they have on the ground.
Professor Yunus said physicians treat patients to save their lives and therefore there is no issue of politics in providing health services.聽
The chief adviser said that those present in the conference of civil surgeons represent the heath sector and the situation will change if they want it.
The civil surgeon of Dhaka, Mohammad Zillur Rahman, demanded that the civil surgeons be given the authority to operate mobile courts against fake doctors and middlemen to bring discipline in the health sector.
He also asked for providing adequate budget for the health sector and for 鈥榟ealth police鈥� beside Ansars to ensure security of the health facilities across the country.
Health and family welfare adviser Nurjahan Begum, however, said the civil surgeons have the authority to cancel the licence of any private hospital and diagnostic facility if at fault and they therefore do not require the authority to operate mobile courts now being operated by executive magistrates.
She, too, underscored the need for ensuring discipline and accountability in the health sector.
鈥楾he situation will remain the same if we just increase resources and manpower without ensuring discipline and accountability in the health sector,鈥� she told the civil surgeons from 64 districts attending the two-day event in the city.
She said that during a recent visit to a government health facility, they found anomalies as the authorities could not even produce the electronic attendance record required to be maintained there.
Underlining the need for collaboration between the government and non-government organisations, the health adviser said that the government alone cannot do everything.聽聽
She said that the government has initiated a process to promote doctors by creating 7,000 supernumerary posts and recruit 7,000 doctors.
Chief adviser鈥檚 special assistant for the health ministry Sayedur Rahman underlined the need for rationalising the prices of medicines and ensure that the essential drugs are available.