Create skilled manpower for accurate diagnosis of patients: HPM Sheikh Hasina

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Published on May 12, 2018
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Putting emphasis on providing better services to the patients, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the authorities concerned to create skilled manpower for operating diagnostic machines properly.

"We some time see that a big mistake is made while diagnosing the patients. Though the equipment is developed, there is a lack of skilled manpower to run these machines," she said while inaugurating the National Institute of Advanced Nursing Education and Research (NIANER) at Mugda in the capital. 

Sheikh Hasina said there is a necessity to create skilled manpower to operate the modern machines for conducting accurate diagnosis of the patients.

"Take initiatives and tell us that what steps we will have to take. We will provide all supports that are necessary...there will be no problem," she assured. 

The prime minister said when a person falls sick, he or she has to go Singapore, Thailand or India. "If those countries can provide better treatment, why we cannot...this question is raised repeatedly in my mind and the issue will have to be addressed," she said.

"We will have to provide quality health services to the people and earn that capability and expertise," she added.

Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, State Minister for Health Zahid Malek,Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Textiles and Jute Saber Hossain Chowdhury, KOICA Vice-President Kyunghoon Sul, Director General of South Asia and Pacific Affairs Bureau of KOICA Yo Young King spoke on the occasion.

Secretary of the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Md Sirajul Haque Khan delivered the welcome address.

The prime minister also called for improving medical waste management system asking the authorities concerned, particularly private hospitals, to give attention to this end. 

"The system is yet to be developed in the country and the authorities will have to give special attention to this end ...otherwise diseases will continue to spread," she said. Acknowledging the lack of doctors and nurses in comparison to the patients in the country, Sheikh Hasina urged doctors to have patience while providing treatment to the people.

"You'll have patience. It's normal that your temperament will be bad if you do private practice at night after doing the government job," she said. 

In this connection, she reminded the physicians and nurses that the attitude of giving services to the people is the biggest matter.

"A patient can be cured a half if he or she gets proper behaviour from the doctors and nurses, and their sincerity and responsibility are very important to this end," she said.

Sheikh Hasina suggested the nurses to uphold their ideology through their personal and professional behaviour alongside providing better services. 

"I hope that you'll acquire tactics of giving better services to the patients and like that you'll uphold the ideology of great nursing profession through personal and professional behaviour," she said. 

Describing the nursing as an integral part of healthcare services, the prime minister said this service should be a world standard one. "From this philosophy, during my South Korea visit in 2010, I requested its President to cooperate Bangladesh for the development of nursing education and services," she said. 

Responding to the request, she said, the Korean government completed the construction work of the NIANER through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for the development of the nursing education in Bangladesh. 

Sheikh Hasina said the Masters in Nursing and research course in various subjects have been introduced in the institute since January 2016. "For this, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Korean government and the KOICA," she said.

The prime minister expressed her belief that the nursing education and the quality of services in Bangladesh will be improved at the international level through the institute. 

Sheikh Hasina recalled that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman incorporated food, clothes, housing, education and medicare in the article 15 of the country's Constitution to ensure the five fundamental rights of the people. 

Following his ideals, she said, the present government implemented massive programmes in last nine years for the development of the health sector. "We're implementing a pro-people health policy aiming to reach health services to their doorsteps," she said. 

The prime minister said her government undertook various measures for achieving the goal of the nurse and physician ratio 2:1 framed by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

She said the entry post of the nurses has been upgraded to the class two. "We've elevated the existing seven nursing institutions to colleges and turned the Nursing Directorate into the Nursing and Midwifery Department," she said. 

Sheikh Hasina said nearly 15, 500 senior staff nurses have so far been recruited, while a process for recruitment of some 5,000 senior staff nurses and one thousand two hundred midwives is at the final stage. 

The premier said the age limit for recruitment of senior staff nurses in the government job has been increased to 36 and minimum qualification for enrolling in nursing education has been raised to higher secondary from secondary.

Pointing out that overall development of a nation depends on physical health and mental soundness of the unborn generation, the prime minister said child mortality rate has reduced significantly following various children welfare- oriented programmes of her government. 

Sheikh Hasina said the United Nations has awarded Bangladesh for its reduction of child mortality rate at desired level to achieve the SDGs. 

She mentioned that her government first established a medical university in the country. Steps have been taken to establish a medical university in every division, she said.

The premier said 13 government medical colleges and five army medical colleges were set up in last nine years, while 200 upazila 31-bed health complexes have been upgraded to 50-bed hospitals. 

She said measures have also been taken to increase the number of beds and other facilities in the country's all district hospitals and medical colleges.