BGMEA health centres Pregnant RMG workers not getting proper treatment

Shah Alam Nur Pregnant readymade garment (RMG) workers are not getting proper treatment at the health centres of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) due to lack of labour wards. According to the data of the health centres, about 50 pregnant women visit a centre every working day and most of them are bound to go back without any treatment. "On an average 200 patients visit Malibagh health centre everyday and more than 25 per cent of them are pregnant patients," said chief medical officer of the BGMEA Malibagh health centre Dr Syed Zakir Hossain. He told the FE that the centre is trying to offer the best possible service to the patients. He also said, "We persuade the patients to get treatment from BGMEA health centres as our treatment is better than that of other centres". Dr Hossain however said the centres only provide treatment before and after delivery and that's why the doctors advise the patients to go to other hospitals during the labour period. Dr Ferdous Ara of the same health centre said they have not adequate facilities for delivery patients for which the patients are discouraged to come to the centre. The patients mostly go to BRAC, Surjer Hasi and Simanti health centres, she said. "Even a good number of patients are not taking any pregnancy-related treatment from our centre," she added. Meanwhile BRAC health centre worker Amena Begum said most of the pregnant RMG workers come to their centre for treatment during pregnancy. The health worker noted that the patients are satisfied with their treatment thanks to their safe delivery procedure without any fee. BGMEA Vice-President Nasiruddin Chowdhury told the FE that the association will provide all kinds of treatment including that related to gynae department in the newly built hospital in the capital city. But it is not possible to provide all kinds of medical facilities through health centres, he added. The garment industry is the largest export earning sector in Bangladesh, and our workers are the backbone. We must take care of their health if we want to take care of the (financial) health of our country, he noted. He said BGMEA has been operating a 25-bed hospital in Chittagong and 12 health centres for the RMG workers. It is also constructing a 150-bed hospital at city's Mirpur which is expected to be ready within the next eighteen months. He said now 25 doctors, 40 nurses and 45 other health workers are working in Dhaka and Chittagong.