Freeing health sector from partisan hegemony

As the interim government is set to sanitise state institutions, including educational organisations, after nearly two decades of entrenched political influence, one of the key areas that needs urgent attention is the health sector. The dominance of partisan platforms has for long been severely affecting the delivery of healthcare services, and it is critical that the government took decisive steps to eliminate such undue interference. Since the early 1990s, both the BNP and AL regimes have allowed politicisation to fester the health sector, with the BNP-aligned Doctors' Association of Bangladesh (DAB) and the AL-backed Swadhinata Chikitsha Parishad (SHACHIP) exerting control over appointments, transfers and promotions of physicians, as well as the execution of development projects under the Ministry of Health. Following the fall of the AL government, a highly charged atmosphere is prevailing in key institutions such as BSMMU, Dhaka Medical College, the Directorate of Health, and other related entities across the country, as reported in the newspapers. This is because of the discrimination and even harassment of followers each other by the two rival platforms during their time in power. Unfortunately, those who were not aligned with either side had also to bear the brunt. Now, with the recent transition, there is concern that this cycle might repeat itself, much to the frustration of common citizens. Insiders opine that keeping the DAB and SHACHIP active will not allow the interim government to function independently.
There were glaring examples of nepotism and irregularity in promotion and posting of physicians in medical colleges and administrators in key positions under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in each turn of the cycle. No wonder, since 2009, all five vice chancellors of the BSMMU were from the AL-backed SHACHIP who were also active AL supporters. Now immediately after the fall of the government, 173 promotion-deprived physicians appointed during the BNP regime in different medical colleges were promoted in a single day. That is to say, the cycle is already at work. Besides posting and promotion of physicians, politicisation has taken its toll on thousands of non-physicians-nurses, midwives, ward attendants and so on.
Politicisation did not spare the only pharmaceutical organisation under the ministry of health -- the Essential Drug Company Ltd. This company is reportedly struggling for long despite producing commonly prescribed medicines. One of the reasons is attributed to its over-staffed manpower. Mostly overstuffed by AL supporters, the manpower is reportedly twice the required number.
Under the circumstances, the challenge before the government is to decide how to go about the chaotic situation. It is no doubt a difficult task to turn things from a long-practised politicicised culture to a service-driven one. According to observers, trying to maintain a balance will do more harm than good. One feels the good thing would be to try to place the right people in important positions capable of exercising pragmatic and judicious decisions in the areas under their jurisdiction. The government should make its intention clear about not allowing things to happen at the expense of public money and suffering.