Measles vaccination shifted to roadside in Mirpur

The demolition and looting of the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur-1 have disrupted essential healthcare services, forcing children to receive measles vaccinations in a makeshift roadside setup amid heat and discomfort.

A day after more than 200 masked men allegedly ransacked and demolished the health facility in the early hours of Friday, health workers on Saturday set up tables and chairs outside the centre’s main gate to continue the measles vaccination campaign.

Children arriving for vaccination, along with their mothers and guardians, were seen waiting in the open space under tarpaulins, while other patients faced severe disruption to routine medical services.

Police have arrested four people over the attack, Shah Ali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jahangir Alam said on Saturday.

The arrested are Md Sohel, 22, Md Juel, 23, Jihad Hasan, 21, and Md Rabbi, 20. They were arrested during a raid on Friday night over their alleged involvement in the attack and later sent to court, the police officer said.

According to police inquiries, three of the four arrested men are floating residents around the Shah Ali Mazar area and allegedly took part in the demolition in exchange for money. Police are investigating the incident and trying to arrest others involved, Jahangir said.

Many children will come here, so we have made temporary arrangements in the open space. The vaccination programme is continuing, but other health services cannot currently be provided as before.
                                                                                 Nasrin Akhter, ED of  Radda MCH-FP Centre 

The attack took place in the early hours of Friday when the masked group allegedly entered the Radda MCH-FP Centre carrying locally made weapons and held two security guards hostage.

The attackers allegedly looted equipment, medicines, vaccines, cash and other valuables before using heavy machinery to demolish the entire facility, including one permanent and three semi-permanent buildings.

The Radda MCH-FP Centre, which began operating in Mirpur in 1974, provides maternal and child healthcare and reproductive health and family-planning services, particularly for disadvantaged and low-income people.

On Saturday, from around 10:30am, health workers arranged the measles vaccination programme outside the demolished facility. Several tables and chairs were placed in the open space, with tarpaulins erected overhead. Some people sat while others stood in the heat as children waited for vaccines.

Radda MCH-FP Centre Executive Director Nasrin Akhter said the vaccination programme was continuing despite the destruction of the facility.

“Many children will come here, so we have made temporary arrangements in the open space. The vaccination programme is continuing, but other health services cannot currently be provided as before,” she said.

The centre has four doctors and around 15 other health workers, including nurses and paramedics. While vaccination activities are continuing, other medical services have been severely restricted. Some patients can only be given prescriptions, while routine tests and consultations cannot be provided normally, Akhter said.

Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan said the government did not want such incidents to occur and that police had been instructed to arrest those involved and take legal action.

He said any dispute between an association and the centre over the land should be settled through the courts, adding that disputes over the land or structures must be resolved through legal procedures.

COAST Foundation, EquityBD and the BD-CSO Network have expressed deep concern and condemned the attack, looting and extensive destruction of the Radda MCH-FP Centre.