Tk 250m WB aid for medicare of critically injured

The World Bank will provide Tk 250 million as health ministry is assessing the medical capacity for treatment and health condition of critically injured people in the July-August student movement.
The department concerned of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has already sat with the world lender and the DGHS asked the hospitals concerned to send their demand list of medical equipment.
The funds will be used to buy equipment and other treatment facilities for the injured currently being treated in specialised hospitals in Dhaka, according to DGHS officials.
The WB will not supply the funds in cash but to facilitate medical instruments and others for treating the victims injured in the movement, said DGHS director (hospitals) Dr Abu Hussain Md Moinul Ahsan.
"We've already asked the hospitals (specialised) to forward their demand list to the DGHS. We'll accommodate it in due procedure," he told the FE.
Earlier, the ministry has asked the hospitals concerned to provide information about the critically injured who need treatment abroad.
As part of it, seriously wounded Fahim Hasan along with two attendants (father and mother) was sent to Vejthani Hospital in Thailand at the government's expense last week.
Tk 0.8 million has been paid as a one-time sum from the Anti-discrimination Welfare Fund for food, accommodation, internal transportation and medical treatment.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines provided them with seven air tickets.
Two more students, who are undergoing treatment at the Burns and Plastic Surgery Institute, are also under consideration for foreign treatment, according to the ministry.
To help the government assess injured cases' condition and their treatment process, a Chinese medical team has been visiting the injured in specialised hospitals in Dhaka since September 23, after landing in Dhaka a day before.
The team has already visited some specialised hospitals here as most of the seriously injured patients have been taking treatment at there.
"The visiting Chinese medical team will assess the patients' health and treatment situations and forward suggestions if they need advanced treatment abroad or this team can provide treatment here," the DGHS official added.
The hospitals are National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital, National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital, National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, the Burn Unit at DMCH and BSMMU.
"We've some other small funds for treatment purposes, while some other donors are expressing eagerness. So, with time, we are hopeful about better and necessary treatment of the injured," added Mr Moinul.
Dr Shah Md Helal Uddin, an additional secretary of the health ministry, told the media that the Chinese team visited 160 patients in those hospitals.
They examined the medical records of 105 patients. Three people were seriously injured. Two of them are in ICU, one with serious eye injuries. There are some patients with more nerve injuries.
The team from China is basically assessors. They will return home and talk to their seniors and experts before sending a full assessment report.
"We'll take action based on suggestions to be made by the Chinese medical assessment team. We're trying to bring in Chinese experts or consider sending the injured abroad if we lack medical equipment or expertise," added Mr Helal.
Meanwhile, US-based Seba Foundation has been contacted for better treatment of those who sustained eye injuries and are undergoing treatment in hospitals. They will bring a team of expert doctors to Bangladesh soon.
The ministry on Tuesday published a draft list of 708 people killed during the period and kept it open for any update till October 06. It, however, has yet to publish any such list on the injured.
Earlier, a committee was formed that prepared the list of the injured and the dead between July 15 and August 05. It provided an injured list of 19,200.
Muhammad Humayun Kabir, former senior secretary of the health service division and head of the committee, said, "We've determined the seriously injured people, especially those who lost their eyes, hands or legs..."
"Medical specialists will now assess and provide treatment as needed as we are not health experts," he told the FE.
"We completed the job and prepared a data system as the list was not completed by that time. The DGHS or concerned officials can update the list."

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