New Health Act to protect doctors, patients: Minister

The drafting of the Health Protection Act is now in the final stage. The ministry has held many meetings about the act, and it would be placed in the parliament soon, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Samanta Lal Sen said.
"As the health minister, I will take the act to the parliament. It is my duty to protect the doctors as well as the patients," he said.
The health minister was speaking as the chief guest of a view-exchange meeting with the teachers and students at M Abdur Rahim Medical College in Dinajpur on Sunday.
He also said the civil surgeons concerned have been instructed to stop irregularities in the private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres of their districts, and warned that no private sector health entity can operate without proper approval.
"If irregularities are found in these entities, the civil surgeon concerned should take the responsibility."
"Besides, according to the rules, wherever a doctor is posted, s/he must stay there. No compromise will be made in this regard," the minister noted.
If medical services can be brought to the people at the grassroots level, and if the quality of treatment can be improved, many large private hospitals and clinics in the country will become barren (due to lack of patients).
"We have to increase facilities in the government medical colleges. Medical colleges give us doctors. If the quality of medical colleges increases and if we can provide advanced education, we will get more skilled doctors," he opined.
"There are many problems. I know many things. I'm also a victim. I'm fully aware of quality improvement, dignity and other issues of the doctors. That's why I'm going across the country for seeing the reality of healthcare system by myself," he added.
Health Services Division Secretary Md. Jahangir Alam highlighted the importance of doctors' post-graduation completion, and also talked about the initiative to create supernumerary posts for doctors.
M Abdur Rahim Medical College Principal Prof Dr. A. F. M Nurullah presided over the meeting. Whip of the parliament Iqbalur Rahim and Director General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr. A. B. M. Khurshid Alam along with officials of the health department and local administration were present in the meeting, among others.

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