Shape up or ship out, PM warns doctors, nurses

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday issued a strict warning to government physicians and nurses to do their respective duties properly or quit their jobs.

‘The ministry of health should conduct a survey to find out how many patients go to government hospitals and why doctors are not found present in hospitals, district and upazila levels, if the transferred doctors do not engage in service then put them aside after making them OSDs, we don’t need them; we’ll appoint new doctors,’ she said.

The PM came up with the warning while visiting the health and family welfare ministry at Secretariat.

She said there was an attitude among nurses that they would not serve patients as they had been promoted to second-class jobs.

‘No, this is not going to happen, they must serve patients, we are giving them such honour so that they serve. Nurses are not supposed to just provide medicines to patients.’

The PM said making the nurses as second-class employee did not mean the government had to create another level of staff for providing services to patients. ‘We don’t need that second class... whoever comes up with such an attitude that person doesn’t need to be there in the job; this is my clear-cut words,’ she warned.

Regarding the allegations that the doctors are not attending their duties in government hospitals across the country, Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to introduce biometric attendance system in all hospitals to ensure 100 per cent presence of the physicians.

She also put emphasis on bringing all the hospitals under the CC camera surveillance for ensuring the security of doctors and nurses. Hasina asked the doctors and nurses to pay due attention when a patient came to a hospital. ‘Doctors must develop a service-oriented attitude.’

Talking about the private practice by physicians, Hasina said doctors in Bangladesh could carry out private practice unlike many countries in the world where government physicians were not allowed to do private practice.

She asked the health ministry to introduce BSMMU system in all district hospitals where the doctors would be able to do their private practice in government hospitals after their office hours.

PM said those who would not do private practice the government might give them special incentives. ‘We can also think about it.’

Hasina said there were allegations that some doctors after their office hours carried out surgeries in private hospitals till late night. ‘How will they take care of patients in public hospitals in the morning? Attention should be given to this as well.’

She also asked the officials concerned to upgrade the curricula so that the doctors of the country could be at par with other doctors of the world.

Hasina asked the health ministry to enhance the surveillance on private medical colleges to make it sure that the students might have proper education so that they could be good doctors.

She also asked the officials concerned to look into the matter of clinical waste management with due importance.

Health and family welfare minister Zahid Maleque and state minister for health and family welfare M Murad Hasan were, among others, present.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net