150 upazila health complexes to get junior paediatricians

Children will now get easy access to treatment in remote areas

The government has taken a move to post junior paediatricians to 150 upazila health complexes in remote and coastal areas of the country to ensure better treatment facilities for children.

Official sources said the upazila health complexes, which are located in hilly, char (shoal), remote and costal areas, will be given priority to posting such doctors so that children of those areas can get easy access to treatment.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim has directed the authorities concerned to take steps to select some of the upazilas where the access to child treatment is inadequate due to lack of junior paediatricians, they said.

The government has taken the initiative for bringing down childhood complications, they said, adding that 150 upazila health complexes will get one paediatrician each.

Health experts of the country have expressed their satisfaction regarding the government move as many children living in the remote areas will get easy access to treatment.

Prof Dr Belayet Hossain, a noted paediatrician, said the move taken by the government is laudable as parents of the children living in remote areas will now get confidence in treatment.
When junior paediatricians will be available in some of the remote upazila health complexes, children will be able to receive their adequate treatment facilities at primary stage and it will help prevent childhood illness, he added.

The government’s step will be effective in establishing child rights in the country, he said.
A senior paediatrician of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University said, “We have inadequate paediatricians in the country but we can provide better treatment to our children using the existing child specialists.”

If the government can send some of the paediatricians to remote, hilly and costal areas, then child mortality as well as childhood illness will come down, he added.

Speaking at a recent programme, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim said, “I have given instructions to the authorities concerned for issuing order to send junior paediatricians to remote upazila health complexes in order to strengthen child treatment facilities there.”

Community clinics and Union health and family welfare centres are playing pivotal role in rendering healthcare support to rural and remote people, he added.

Such healthcare centres are working in rendering primary treatment to commoners including children, the minister pointed out.