Deputy Commissioners (DCs) have called for urgent solutions to systemic crises in the health and education sectors, citing acute shortages of essential medicines and a lack of school infrastructure as primary concerns.
During the opening sessions of the DC Conference on Sunday – the first since the BNP government took office – district heads from across the country highlighted critical field-level gaps to relevant ministers.
Inaugurated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium, the conference’s first day saw DCs voicing the grievances of rural populations regarding physician absenteeism, nighttime ambulance shortages, and the absence of adequate examination venues.
Following the inauguration, separate discussions were held with the Ministries of Health, Education, and Law to address these administrative bottlenecks.
Health sector irregularities
During the session with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain noted that DCs highlighted the acute shortage of ambulances at night and the lack of essential medicines in hospitals.
The DCs pointed out that there is often no proper accounting of medicine stocks and urged the government to mandate the public display of available medicine lists at every hospital.
They further identified physician absenteeism as a “grave problem,” noting that many doctors are away on lien or deputation.
In response, the health minister directed DCs to increase the frequency of mobile courts to prevent medical malpractice at private clinics and to dismantle “brokerage” syndicates involved in ambulance services.
He also sought their cooperation in curbing the sale of adulterated medicines, promoting breastfeeding awareness, and ensuring cleanliness to combat the upcoming dengue season.
Regarding immunisation, the minister informed journalists that the measles death rate has declined, with 81 per cent of children vaccinated so far. He expressed confidence that reaching 100 per cent coverage within days would further reduce mortality.
Husain also instructed officials to ensure adequate stocks of anti-venom to prevent snakebite deaths and to maintain rabies vaccine supplies so that no patient is turned away.
Education and Qawmi Madrasa policy
In a subsequent meeting, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan addressed the psychological pressure on the education system, questioning the “unrest” among parents and students over achieving “GPA-5.”
Responding to DCs’ reports regarding the lack of playgrounds and examination venues, the Minister announced a project to construct multipurpose examination halls in every upazila.
The minister also revealed that the government has initiated the formulation of a policy for Qawmi Madrasas.
Following three rounds of discussions with Madrasa representatives, the government is awaiting “solid proposals” from them to determine the equivalence of various Qawmi levels – such as SSC, Intermediate, Degree, and Dawra – within the national framework.
Law and anti-corruption measures
Attending the DC conference, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman directed the commissioner to report any instances of field-level irregularities or corruption directly to the Law Ministry.
He specifically emphasised the need for vigilance regarding government property, instructing officials to ensure there are no delays in processing files related to state-owned assets.
