Health minister must walk the talk

Newly appointed Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen's instruction to officials concerned to close down all illegal health centres, including clinics, and diagnostic centres in different parts of the country has come to our attention.
The widespread presence of illegal healthcare institutions and diagnostic centres has long been a serious public health threat in our country, which is evident from the very fact that patients often fall victim to wrong treatment and diagnosis. The pain felt at the death of a five-year-old boy named Ayaan in a city's posh hospital during a surgery as minor as circumcision is still raw for his parents.
We, therefore, would like to hope that the newly appointed health minister would translate his words into action and make sure that his instructions are being obeyed thoroughly. We, however, must not forget that any sporadic drives will not yield the desired outcome. The authorities should precisely detect fake clinics and diagnostic centres before closing them down without yielding to money, muscle, or political power.

Rehman Zia, a conscious citizen, Dhaka