Health Minister Sardar Md Shakhawat Hossain has blamed both the previous Awami League government and the interim administration for the recent rise in measles infections across the country, alleging that the regular MR vaccination programme was disrupted for years.
The minister made the remarks on Wednesday while speaking to journalists during a visit to Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College Hospital in Kishoreganj.
“During the last 17 years under fascist rule and also during the interim period, funds allocated to the health sector were looted,” he said.
He alleged that despite repeated requests from international organisations such as UNICEF, Gavi and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), authorities failed to procure vaccines through international channels and instead purchased them from private sources for personal gain.
MR campaign halted after 2020
The minister said MR vaccination campaigns are supposed to be conducted every four years, but no such campaign had taken place since December 2020.
“We are now suffering the consequences of that failure,” he said.
He added that the government had recently managed to collect measles vaccines with support from donor countries. According to the minister, vaccines were initially borrowed from Gavi and vaccination activities began in 30 upazilas across 18 highly affected districts.
The campaign was later expanded to Dhaka North and South city corporations, as well as Mymensingh and Barishal city corporations.
He said more than 20 million children had already been vaccinated under the nationwide campaign launched on the 20th of this month, which exceeded the target by reaching 103 per cent coverage.
The minister also said door-to-door vaccination activities are still continuing at the upazila level.
Criticism of hospital management
Criticising hospital management and procurement practices, the minister alleged that expensive radiotherapy machines had been imported to facilitate corruption and later left unused in hospitals.
“Many of these machines are now non-functional,” he said.
Highlighting the shortage of healthcare workers, he announced that 100,000 health workers would be recruited from next July, with 80 per cent of the positions reserved for women.
He said the government also plans to introduce midwifery and caregiver services at the village level through the newly recruited workforce.
Dengue preparedness and outsourcing criticism
The health minister said the government has already stockpiled more than 100,000 bags of dengue saline to tackle any possible outbreak.
He also criticised the outsourcing recruitment system, alleging that corruption takes place at three stages — during tendering, recruitment and salary disbursement.
“We will stop this system,” he said.
Among others present during the visit were Kishoreganj-1 MP Mazharul Islam, Deputy Commissioner Sohana Nasrin, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Zila Parishad Administrator Khaled Saifullah Khan Sohel, and Deputy Director of Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College Dr Saiful Islam.
Earlier in the day, the minister also visited Pakundia Upazila Health Complex and Hossainpur Upazila Health Complex.
