Politics must not hinder doctors’ duties: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday urged doctors to ensure that political involvement does not come in the way of their professional responsibilities or the delivery of healthcare.

He also stressed that patient care must always remain their foremost duty.

“Political involvement should never become a reason for failing to perform professional duties. This is most important,” he said while addressing a doctors’ rally marking the 37th founding anniversary of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) on the LD Hall premises of the Jatiya Sangsad. Tarique Rahman said there was an ongoing debate over the extent to which students, teachers and professionals should be involved in politics.

He said it was not unreasonable for students, teachers and professionals to remain politically aware or organised according to their own beliefs and ideologies in a democratic country, as political decisions influence almost every aspect of public life.

"But political involvement must not hinder the performance of your professional duties," the Prime Minister said, urging DAB doctors to remain mindful of the issue.

Tarique Rahman said there was now a strong and growing demand across the country for qualitative changes in politics, with people seeking to move beyond traditional political practices and bring broader changes across different sectors, particularly since August 5.

He also stressed the need to shift greater focus towards disease prevention, saying the government believes people can avoid many illnesses if they are made aware of their causes and prevention at an early stage. He said the government plans to recruit another 100,000 health workers to raise public awareness about basic healthcare and disease prevention.

Referring to various government measures in the health sector, including a decision to increase the number of beds at upazila health complexes to 101 and plans to introduce health cards soon, he stressed the need for doctors to remain committed to serving people.

Tarique Rahman acknowledged that doctors face various limitations while performing their duties. "Even then, unintended negligence or laxity in discharging duties can, on the one hand, raise questions about the government's overall activities and, on the other, create public distrust in doctors and the healthcare system."

He said people expect doctors to play a more responsible and humane role in ensuring healthcare services.

He urged doctors at all levels-from upazila and district hospitals to divisional and central facilities-to work alongside the government to improve the healthcare system. "Without your cooperation, support and help, it will not be possible for the government to implement these plans."

The Prime Minister said the government had allocated the second-highest budget ever for the health sector as part of its efforts to modernise and strengthen the country's healthcare system.

He said the government was also working to introduce universal health coverage as soon as possible and had taken steps to bring every upazila health complex under the system.

Tarique Rahman called for collective efforts to build a healthcare-friendly Bangladesh where every citizen would receive quality medical care and people would no longer have to travel abroad for advanced treatment.

He said the government had inherited a fragile state, including a weak economy, a divided administration and struggling education and healthcare systems, and was working to bring the country back on its feet.

He said that even in such circumstances, he alleged that a vested quarter that had benefited from fascism remained active in the country's political and administrative spheres.

"You have surely noticed recently that a group is very actively trying, very carefully, to destabilise the energy and power sectors. They are presenting various misleading statements in different ways," Tarique Rahman said.

He said the government had never denied that many people were currently suffering because of problems related to electricity and gas shortages.

"We know this," he said, adding that the government had inherited a fragile system in the energy sector as well.

He said the country was now paying the price for unplanned policies and programmes adopted in the past in the gas, fuel and petroleum sectors, including policies allegedly designed to benefit particular groups.