Health & Health Policy

Oxygen crisis and the fault in our healthcare system

9Jul

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COVID-19: UBINIG Report Series, Health & Health Policy

Oxygen crisis and the fault in our healthcare system

Farida Akhter || Friday 09 July 2021 A lack of oxygen support systems in Bangladesh’s public healthcare system are a serious detriment in the battle against Covid-19 The government did not use the time they had over one year to enhance the facilities at the district hospitals with equipment and human resources. Deaths from Covid infections are rising at an alarming rate in district hospitals. During the first week of July, the deaths per day rose to record levels in Bangladesh since the Covid pandemic began. On 5 July,164 deaths were recorded, the highest number yet. We can only hope it does not increase further. In 2020, the death toll was the highest in the Dhaka division, particularly in the metropolitan Dhaka city. But with the rise of infections in the surrounding di...

COVID 19 Pandemic and Denial of Healthcare

1Apr

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Health & Health Policy

COVID 19 Pandemic and Denial of Healthcare

Farida Akhter || Wednesday 01 April 2020 In a country where health care facilities are already inadequate, how can the government and private hospitals are shutting down their medical services? A largely unnoticed, undeclared and sinister shut down of outdoor, indoor and emergency services raises serious questions about the right to health, more so during the time of COVID 19 pandemic. This is a picture of healthcare situation after the novel corona virus (COVID 19) outbreak in the country since 8th March, 2020 depicting serious violation of human of human rights. What should we contemplate to do immediately? Systematic Denial of Health Service Novel Corona virus (COVID 19) outbreak around the globe, in Bangladesh, so far only 54 detected and 6 death cases were found (1 April...

26Jun

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Health & Health Policy

Shasthya Andolon

Shasthya Andolon || Sunday 26 June 2016 Construction labour Rawshon Ara Begum (43) is a construction labour. The husband has deserted her. She lives at Pallavi, Mirpur, Dhaka. She has been working as a labour for construction since her husband deserted her. She becomes sick of headache if she curries heavy load on head. It is tough to earn my food and how can I see a doctor, she mentions. Four years ago she visited Shohrawardy Hospital, Dhaka for chest pain. The doctors diagnosed heart problem after investigation. She had taken medicines worth of Taka 400/- from pharmacy outside. It takes a whole day if any one goes to government hospital for treatment. The poor people are neglected there. She demanded for easy access of labours in the Government Hospitals. Garment worker M...

Diabetes: Poor people do not know and cannot afford treatment

9Apr

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Health & Health Policy

Diabetes: Poor people do not know and cannot afford treatment

Palash Baral || Saturday 09 April 2016 || READ BY SUBJECT: Health & Health Policy Palash Baral Beat Diabetes – is the slogan of WHO (World Health Organization) to observe World Health Day this year (2016) on 7th April. Shayshtha Andolon (Health Movement) organized an open discussion session on 6th April at Narigrantha Prabartana (Women Resource Center) in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. Over 40 participants from different professions including garment workers, health activists, women leaders, researchers, development organizations, members of Women Resource Center attended the discussion. The issue was “Raise Consciousness and Prevent Diabetes”. Dr. M A Sobhan, Chair, BeezBistar Foundation, presided over and Palash Baral, member, Shaysthya Andolon moderated the session. In the be...

4Apr

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Health & Health Policy

How foods affect diabetes?

Dr. M. A. Sobhan Diabetes is a disorder caused by insufficient or lack of production of insulin (a hormone) by the pancreas (a gland of the abdomen). Insulin is responsible for absorbing glucose (a simple sugar) into the blood stream, where it is available for body cells to use for growth and energy. When people eat, the pancreas automatically produces the correct amount of insulin to absorb the glucose. In people with diabetes, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin or the body’s cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, over-flows into the urine and passes out of the body, with the result that the body loses its main source of energy. Diabetes in Bangladesh There were 7.1 million cases of diabetes in Bangladesh in 20...

14Mar

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Health & Health Policy

Health Situation of Kaora Community

Shasthya Andolon Shaystha Andolon organized a discussion session with Kaora community on 28th February 2016. The session was held in Arangghata, Khulna. Total 21 women and 6 adolescent girls attended the session. The main purpose of this session was to know the health status of Kaora community and the facilities they avail if they are sick. Kaora Community belongs to schedule caste and their major occupation is pig rearing. It is their heredity and they do it generation after generation. Because of their occupation and intensive engagement in pig rearing, Kaora community is alone and they are ignored by all other sections. When a boy child reaches at 12 years, he starts the job. Male members of Kaora community are engaged in pig rearing and women work as day labor in agricultur...

4Mar

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Health & Health Policy

Patients and Health Service Providers & Facilities Protection Act 2016

Shasthya Andolon & UBINIG Discussion Session, Jointly Organized by: Shasthya Andolon & UBINIG; 29th February, 2016; Venue: National Press Club, Dhaka Introduction Due to some incidents of deaths of patients alleged to have occurred due to negligence of attending doctors, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of Bangladesh proposed Patient and Health Service Providers Protection Act 2016. As network health activists, Shasthya Andolon (Health Movement) expressed its deep concern over the proposed act because of its implications for patients’ rights as well as health service providers. Shasthya Andolon (Health Movement) in collaboration with UBINIG, a policy research organization held an OPINION SHARING MEETING on 29th February 2016 at 11:00 am ...

8Jul

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Health & Health Policy

Open Discussion: Shasthya Andolon

Shasthya Andolon || Tuesday 08 July 2014 || READ BY SUBJECT: Health & Health Policy Public Health service: Budget 2014 – 15 and health Management “Health care is much broader than treatment of diseases” Shasthya Andolon Network (Health Movement Network) organized an open discussion meeting on “Public Health Service: Budget and health management" at the VIP Lounge, National Press Club Dhaka on 29 June, 2014. A total of 108 participants attended the discussion meeting. The participating organizations included Naripakkho, Bachte shekho Nari, Adibashi Forum, Narigrantha Prabartana, NIPSOM, Dhaka Community Hospital, Jatiyo Shasthya Odhikar Andolon, Chikitshak Songsad, Nirapad Development Foundation, WBB Trust, Public Health Movement, Gonoshasthaya Kendra, Health an...

12Mar

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Health & Health Policy

Demand for generic names of medicine

Shasthya Andolon Shasthya Andolon discussion meeting on Increasing Drug prices and the healthcare system was held on 11 March, 2014 at 3 pm in Chayanaut meeting room, Dhaka. Palash Baral, Director of UBINIG conducted the meeting with Farida Akhter, Joint Convenor of Shasthya Andolon as the chair. It was attended by some government officials, health activists, Allopath and Ayurved practitioners, representatives of pharmacy shop owners association and health researchers. Any discussion on health usually ends up in treatment of diseases and the treatment means only prescription and use of medicines. So the meeting focused the discussion on very practical experiences of all concerned. Recently a newspaper report drew the attention which showed that during February 2014 the prices of...

25Nov

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Health & Health Policy

Shortage of doctors and nurses:

Farida Akhter Shortage of doctors and nurses: Dismal picture of the rural healthcare in Bangladesh In the rural Bangladesh, people go to “Sorkari Haspatal” (the government health facility) because they know that the ‘Daktar shaheb’ (doctor) is qualified. In times of sickness, they prefer government hospital over a private one, because it is “free” or much less costly than the private treatment. Most importantly, they trust the doctors. They feel it is their right to receive services from a government hospital. For a village patient, the nearest sophisticated health centre is called Upazilla Health Centre, established for a population of 200,000 to 350,000. The services are available are for treatment of common diseases, emergency services and injuries. But the question is, are ...