People expect real role of doctors

Mostafijur Rahman Nasim: Doctors are another form of God to a patient. People rush to doctors' chamber or hospital becoming sick where the doctors are everything to get relieve from their sickness.

Patients trust most the doctors as play a role of god. Doctors are the real friends of patients. It is believed that a good physician can heal the patient even before medication.

Besides, there is an old proverb also that "Doctor is the second God on this Earth". So, it can be said people trust most the doctors after the almighty God. Sometimes, the lives of sick people depend on the hands of doctors. They play the main role to save lives of patients in operation theaters.

Bangladesh is a densely populated country and the numbers of doctors are few here. But, the doctors of the country have lots of reputation in some sectors. Bangladesh's success in protecting its people from vaccine-preventable disease has its roots in the late 1950s, with campaigns against tuberculosis.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), by 1979, Bangladesh entered a new era of vaccination through the Extended Program on Immunization (EPI).

Later, Polio came as an additional challenge to the already fragile health system. More and more children were diagnosed with paralysis in late 1980s. By the year 2000, however, Bangladesh was able to stop transmission of polio, despite the country’s considerable challenges. This achievement was made possible by the government’s strong commitment to routine immunizations, quality surveillance, regular National Immunization Days (NIDs) and facilitation of strong multi-sectoral collaborations.

Physician from the country achieved positive image in abroad. A large number of qualified nurses and doctors are providing medical facilities in other countries. There are lot of demand of Bangladeshi doctors and medicines in the globe.

However, few doctors tarnish their God level image due to some unexpected reasons. The number of these types of doctors few but their role creates tension among patients. Declaring strike or work abstention in hospitals, doctors try to meet their demand. This practice should not be expected from the second God.

Some recent incidents in public hospitals made the authority concern alert. A good numbers of intern doctors started word abstention. Even, the inter doctors in a Medical College Hospital locked the emergency unit of the hospital. 

The strike was enforced after the health minister suspended four interns for assaulting a patient attendant at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital. Although the problem was solved after a meeting of the health ministry but this strike by doctors should be stopped forever.

The authority should implement some strict rule to overcome these types of untoward situations from the sector. A real solution should be taken to face strike in medical centers, centering scuffle, altercation or negligence of patient's death.  

It is learnt from some media reports that patient attendants will get identity cards at hospitals from now on. Besides, doctors, nurses and employees will also have to be issued ID cards from hospitals that will be mandated for use while on duty. This is a great idea indeed however, the new decision was taken earlier but most of the hospital and patients did not implement it properly. So, both awareness and obedience is must here. 

People expect treatment from doctors not strike. The doctors should not forget that they are human being also. Sickness touches everyone. Besides, patients and their attendants should practice patience as a good physician tries his level best to heal a sick body and make it healthy.


risingbd/Dhaka/Mar 11, 2017/Nasim/Nowsher Ali