Staff Correspondent

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan on Tuesday said Health and Family Welfare Adviser Nurjahan Begum, who is suffering from cancer, had long been receiving treatment in Singapore, and therefore her medical care abroad should be considered from a humanitarian perspective.

Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat after inaugurating three newly built urban maternity centres and eight urban health centres under the Urban Primary Health Care Services Delivery Project (Phase II), Asif said: “As far as I know, Nurjahan Apa has cancer. It is not that her treatment in Singapore began today. She has been under treatment there for a long time. Continuity in treatment is important.

He said, “If you are diagnosed with cancer, you cannot change your treatment facility or hospital after becoming an adviser. This is a humanitarian matter and should be viewed from that standpoint.”

“Continuity of treatment matters. Shifting from one hospital to another involves many implications, and you are all aware of that,” added Asif, who also serves as Adviser to the Youth and Sports Ministry.

He further said, “I believe it is the responsibility of all of us in policymaking positions, and those who will take up such roles in future, to strengthen the country’s healthcare system so that patients can receive treatment for critical illnesses at home. The interim government has already taken a number of initiatives in this regard.”

Asif noted that Bangladesh had long been overly dependent on one country for medical treatment abroad. “Now, with China’s cooperation, commitments have been made to establish several hospitals in Bangladesh. Once these are completed, we believe Bangladesh will become self-reliant in the health sector,” he added.

When asked about the stagnation of community clinics after the fall of the Awami League government, Asif said: “We are working with the Health Ministry to improve coordination. A decision has already been made at the highest level of government to increase manpower, including doctors, in the Health Ministry. You will soon see visible steps in this regard.”

He continued, “After August 5 last year, many areas fell into stagnation. We have already been able to make progress in those areas and are continuing our efforts.”

On the rising number of dengue deaths, the adviser said: “We are working on multiple fronts to tackle dengue. The drivers of dengue spread are many — from public awareness to medical treatment — all need to be addressed simultaneously. I urge city residents to pay attention to the matters that contribute to the spread of dengue. Public awareness campaigns are being carried out, including TV advertisements. People must follow these guidelines so that Aedes mosquito breeding can be controlled and the outbreak can be contained.”

“Our existing healthcare system faces pressure during dengue season. Sometimes it becomes difficult to manage or maintain the situation due to the sudden surge in cases. For this reason, we are coordinating with the Health Ministry and all concerned authorities,” Asif Mahmud added.