Remembering a great health reformer

National Professor Dr Muhammed Ibrahim, a renowned physician, a gifted teacher, a talented organiser and a great reformer, was born on December 31, 1911 and died on September 06, 1989. His death anniversary is observed as (Diabetic) Service Day (sheba divash) to honour his commendable contribution to socio-medicare services.
His contribution in the field of medicine in general and diabetes in particular was nothing less than phenomenal. He was the founder of the Diabetic Association in Dhaka (1956) and in Karachi and Lahore (1964). He was the first to think of diabetic care in the country. He realised that diabetes, a silent killer and a non communicable disease, is such a disease that would require not only doctors but patients to be involved in the process of treatment. He thought the matter as a socio-medical care. Although the real extent of the problem of diabetes was not then evident in our part of the world, he could foresee the present picture at that time and organised a group of social workers, philanthropists and professionals. With the help of them he established the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (then Pakistan) on February 28, 1956.
Diabetic care was started in a tin-shed accommodation at Segun Bagicha with only 23 patients. He committed himself to give primary care to the patients free of cost, irrespective of socio-economic, racial or religious status. Even rich patients were not allowed to buy the primary diabetic care, but they could donate to the association. The resources and funds were raised through motivation programmes.  As there were no indoor facilities initially at Segun Bagicha, patients in need of hospitalisation were sent to other hospitals. In the beginning of the 70's, a few short-stay beds were established to take care of the critically ill patients.
Dr. Ibrahim succeeded in establishing the diabetes health-care and research institute complex, named the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM) at Shahbag, Dhaka in 1980 where the out-patients centre of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association was shifted. The institute is housed in two large buildings, named, after his death in 1989, as Ibrahim Memorial Diabetes Centre. To develop trained and specialised manpower, he also established an Academy in BIRDEM for postgraduate education in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism (DEM). BIRDEM has been acclaimed as a model for South East Asia. In recognition of its innovative, extensive and high quality services BIRDEM was designated in 1982 as a 'WHO-Collaborating Centre for Developing Community-oriented Programmes for Prevention and Control of Diabetes'. It is the first such centre in Asia.
Dr M Ibrahim was very much aware about the quality of the service provided to the patients. He used to address the patients by saying that `we are grateful to you for giving us the opportunity to serve'. His humility to his patients was legendary and most genuine. Deep empathy and compassion were the essentials in his dealing with his patients especially those who were poor. He also motivated other doctors to serve the patients with empathy. He included social welfare, health education, nutritional education and rehabilitation in the diabetes healthcare delivery system. He always believed that an institution achieves its goal and EXCELLENCE not by bricks and mortars, nor by machines or metals but by the human resources and he spent all his life in developing talented human resources.  For over three decades, Mohammad Ibrahim succeeded in generating awareness on diabetes in the country through free-of-cost quality services, health education and motivation. He also established the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training for Applied Nutrition (BIRTAN) and Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Centre (RVTC) in Jurain, Dhaka, to develop low-cost nutrition and vocational training to the poor and unemployed diabetics. He took keen interest in family planning. His involvement began as a founder member of the Family Planning Association of Bangladesh, which first started its programme in this country in the mid-fifties. He made his real impact as the Adviser to the President, with the rank of Minister, in-charge of the Ministry of Health and Population Control, in the mid-1970's. He was instrumental in formulating the population control policy of the government for the first time and introduced the National Population Council.
Under the luminosity of the guidance and philosophy of its founder the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh has grown to what it is today. The Association has set some targets and objectives as its mission which cover providing total healthcare including rehabilitation for all diabetics irrespective of gender, economic and social status through different institutions of the association; expanding these services to provide affordable BADAS healthcare for all Bangladeshis through self-sustaining centres of excellences, creating specialised manpower (physicians, technicians, nurses) for manning these institutions, developing leadership in healthcare through dedicated and transparent management system and also promoting manufacturing plants for diabetic and other health foods and medicines. Diabetes care centres have been established in and around Dhaka and also all over the country with local entrepreneurs.
Dr Muhammad Abdul Mazid, a former Secretary and Chairman NBR, is Chief Coordinator,
Diabetic Association of Bangladesh and Chairman of Chittagong Stock Exchange.
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