An Assistant Professor Dr Md Moyeen Uddin of Sylhet Medical College Hospital who was fighting to save corona patients himself was infected and died yesterday. The shameful story of the hero’s death as narrated is that he did not get cooperation from the Health Ministry to get ambulance helicopter to bring him to Dhaka for treatment. Then at private initiative he was brought to Dhaka. So much time was wasted and so little concern was shown to appreciate his services in the battle against the pandemic COVID-19. It is reported that more than 100 healthcare workers have been infected in the country due to lack of personal protective gears. We insist the death of Dr Moyeen Uddin and the allegation of not getting proper response from the Health Ministry for saving his life must be enquired. It cannot be tolerated any more that public servants will not take public service seriously.
We see the acute shortage of PPE for healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, pathologists and other health service staffs, from the very beginning. Limited access to supplies such as gloves, medical masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, gowns, and aprons has make situation highly dangerous for both doctors and patients. The WHO said without secured supply chains the risk to healthcare workers around the world is in real danger. Since the outbreak, prices of surgical mask, gloves, PPE and other equipment have surged. Amid these shortcomings, doctors, nurses, technicians and paramedics around the world are facing an unprecedented workload in overstretched health facilities. They are working in stressful and frightening work environments, not just because the virus is little understood, but because in most cases they are under-protected, overworked and themselves vulnerable to infection. No Health Ministry can run so negligently.
But negligent death of a front line fighter Dr Moyeen Uddin to save lives of corona affected patients must be enquired and the truth must be made publicly known. We have proved ourselves an unconscionable nation for the corrupt opportunists among our educated people. Now we are facing near death situation because once infected there is no cure. Our health care system is unprepared to say the least.
