Private healthcare centers should be under proper control!
Ensuring access to necessary healthcare is one of the basic rights of a citizen. Due to the inadequacy of government healthcare facilities and wide disparity in patient-physician ratio, unregistered and substandard private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers have mushroomed in the country. Most of the time, these privately owned healthcare centers do not have the necessary equipment to provide services, specialist doctors are not found present, and the intended healthcare is not readily available. Apart from this, many private healthcare institutions have made it their goal to make money by holding hostages and harassing service seekers under the guise of medical services-without caring about following the laws and regulations related to healthcare.
The concerned government department should continue to conduct routine surveillance drives in unregistered and chaotically administered private healthcare institutions. If they fail to comply with the existing laws and regulations, terms, and conditions related to healthcare, they must be brought under the law quickly. It is very important to take and implement other punitive and regulatory measures including cancellation of registration if necessary.
Above all, it is essential to keep the overseeing drives of responsible public concerns free from unbridled bribery. Because, the corruption and dishonesty of the health sector have already introduced us to many unpleasant truths. In this case, the example of Shahed’s event during the C-19 pandemic will be remembered for a long time.
Nazifa Nawarah
Sadar, Rangpur
Unabated use of polythene
Bangladesh is the first country in the world to ban the production, marketing and use of polythene by enacting a law on March 1, 2002. The country was able to take a timely step to curb this rampant polythene epidemic.
The government passed another law in 2010 to use jute instead of polythene. The law was such as ‘Compulsory Use of Jute Wrapping in Products Act-2010’. The law also banned polythene to use in 11 products. But due to lack of enforcement, use of poly products is still rampant in the market.
The use of eco-friendly jute should be increased and people should be encouraged not to use polythene. Considering the overall situation, the Polythene Prohibition Act must be implemented in no time.
Jakariya Al Hosain
Student, Nilphamari Government College
