Country’s health sector needs an immediate revamp for making it free from corruption, fraudulence, irregularities and mismanagement, experts opine.

They also said people will get proper treatment if the authorities concerned can ensure providing health care services by removing the corruption and mismanagement.

Talking to Bangladesh Post public health expert professor Ahmed Hussian said, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken effective measures to tackle coronavirus in the country but some unscrupulous people are trying to undo whole process.”

“This is the high time the health sector should get proper attention. If necessary, this sector should be quickly reorganized. An independent National Health Commission should be formed. The Ministry of Health needs to be managed by health professionals. Everyone from the minister to the lower level should be involved in this process,” he added.

Doctors are very much there but management has become the biggest casualty to serve patients properly, the expert further said.

Unless the anomalies are removed all initiatives of the government to make the country’s health sector a world class one will end in fiasco, the experts warned.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in this regard said, “No one will be spared from their misdeeds. Corrupt people have no identity. Bangabandhu had two dreams – liberation of the country and a poverty-free Bangladesh. I’m working to materialise his dream. Tarnishing the image of the government would not be tolerated.”

She also assured that authorities concerned would take proper action regarding the mismanagement to ensure smooth healthcare service to all.

Meanwhile on Monday, Health Secretary Abdul Mannan told reporters, “Many beds at the hospital are still empty. Patients are not going to the Covid-19 dedicated hospitals. Actions are underway to bring transparency in health sector.”

“Common people are becoming victims of the irregularity. The fraud of the Regent Hospital after JKG has exposed the incompetence and failure of the Ministry of Health and the Department,” said a medicine specialist of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital seeking anonymity.

He also said, “Health system has a long history of irregularities in medical equipment purchase. The incident of collecting bills with an empty box or without any work is not new. This sector is plagued with strong syndicates. Effective measures are hardly taken against the wrongdoers based on allegations.”

Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) General Secretary Ehteshamul Haque Chowdhury said, “The mismanagement of health sector has reached its peak. Health Sector should get the top priority to restore public confidence.”

“A commission has also to be formed. The body should comprise economists, lawyers, journalists and physicians. It should report timely manner in consultation with community leaders. Necessary steps have to be taken immediately,” he added.

Talking to Bangladesh Post, the Institute of Health Economics faculty at University of Dhaka Shafiun Nahin Shimul said that every department of the health sector of the country is spoiled. Irregularities are ubiquitous including recruitment system, purchasing, professional conduct, skills, professionalism and so on. There is no easy way out of this jeopardy.

He said the health ministry needs to be managed by health professionals. The change of the health system is not possible without structural change.