In the June 1, 2021 issue of The Print (The Print. in), Mihir Sharma wrote: Why Bangladesh, not India or Pakistan, will be the star of the South Asian economy? He says Pakistan’s per capita income is ৫ 1,543 and Bangladesh’s হাজার 2,227. In 1971, Pakistan was 80 percent richer than Bangladesh. Now Bangladesh is 45 percent richer than Pakistan. According to Mihir Sharma, Bangladesh’s development stands on three pillars — export, social progress, and economic decision-making caution. Bangladesh has achieved what India or Pakistan have not been able to do ধার they have been steadily increasing the share of women in the labor force.

When it comes to Bangladesh’s economic development, it is a paradox. Despite the lack of accountability, weak democracy, inefficiency, opacity, why the economy of Bangladesh is vibrant?

I see almost the same contradiction with the health sector in Bangladesh. If you google the health sector in Bengal, you will see that almost all the news of the last six to seven years is negative — corruption, mismanagement, irregularities. Prothom Alo on November 9, 2014A, recent TIB report entitled “Challenges and Ways to Overcome Good Governance in the Health Sector” states that bribes of Rs 10,000 to Rs 10 lakh have to be paid for recruitment, transfer, and promotion in institutions under the Ministry of Health. Highlighting. TIB’s research team has collected this information based on the statements of the aggrieved doctors, officers, and employees. Apart from this, the relationship between the doctors of the government institutions and the commission sharing of the diagnostic centers and brokers is miserable. Why should people who are engaged in a great profession like medical service engage in this immoral work? ‘

The media is abuzz with reports of corruption in shopping in hospitals. Here is a quote from Deutsche Welle’s June 19, 2020 report:

Last year, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) identified 11 sectors of corruption in the health sector: shopping, recruitment, promotion, transfer, posting, medical services, use of medical equipment, and supply of medicines. Apart from the corruption seen with the naked eye, the ACC also spoke about a fancy corruption. And that is to buy a lot of unnecessary equipment for corruption. Equipment is purchased that there is no man to manage. Those devices are never used …

‘In the 2016-17 financial year, there was a corruption of at least one thousand crore taka. The media published this picture of corruption with the purchase information of 628 government hospitals and medical college hospitals for the purchase of health equipment:

‘… The purchase of equipment for Faridpur Medical College Hospital is 16 times more than the actual price. The price of one set of screens is 36 lakh rupees. Low-quality equipment worth Tk 185 crore was procured for Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College and Hospital in Gazipur. Rangpur Medical College bought surgical equipment worth Tk 4 crore even though it was not needed, which was never used.

I did not mention the investigative reports of Rozina Islam published in Prothom Alo.

This news is just a small example of how our health sector is suffering from more horrors than Corona. In the meantime, Prothom Alo has been publishing the news of Bangladesh’s progress on the occasion of the golden jubilee of independence. Prothom Alo continues to write about the wonderful achievements of Bangladesh in the health sector in 750 years. The average life expectancy has increased by 28 years to 62 years and 6 months. The infant mortality rate has decreased by 75%, and the maternal mortality rate has decreased from 800 per million to 165 percent. , The rural health system is on a solid footing, the nutritional situation has improved, community clinics are providing medical facilities in remote areas, public health and population research have become a hotbed. Just as I got the news of the anarchy in the health sector in Prothom Alo, I am also reading the news of this improvement in the health sector in Prothom Alo. Again that puzzle, paradox.

Now think, if our country did not have corruption, mismanagement, incompetence, then where would we go in 50 years of independence?

One of the reasons for corruption is lack of accountability, lack of surveillance, lack of guarding, failure to ensure justice and punishment in every case of corruption. There is light in every human being; there is also darkness. If given a chance, a man goes towards darkness. If there is a guard, there is fear of punishment, and then people get better. Today, the presence of cats in the bag is being felt as the health department is in a dilemma due to the corona.

But in addition to this, incompetence seems to be a major cause of corruption. We have spent only 42 percent of the annual development budget, which is very disappointing. And in this case, the Ministry of Health is one of the most failed ministries. We can’t spend money. That again is the cause of our notoriety at the end of the year. So in a hurry, we continue to spend money. There is an allocation of two crore rupees. You need to buy two chukkas, buy them, two chukkas 40 lakhs, four mattresses 40 lakhs, five sheets 50 lakhs — Sir, but the calculation of two crores does not match, what shall I do? Hey Mia, buy a mosquito net, buy a rope to hang a mosquito net, install a mechanic to attach a bed. You can’t make a budget of only two crore rupees, what do you do?

This means that we actually need to improve our skills. There is corruption, greed, and incompetence behind showing the cost of pillows, the budget of lakhs of rupees to buy curtains, buying equipment worth crores of rupees, and leaving it in the hospital or airport. So when you say, increase the budget in the health sector, I say, increase efficiency in all areas. Whose skill? People. Create skilled people. Our people will not only go abroad as workers, but they will also go as managers, as skilled professionals, as doctors, engineers, accountants, managers, nurses, technicians, and specialists. Today, Indians and Sri Lankans are working as managers in advertising agencies, starting from the garment sector. And we are meeting the shortage of housemaids in the Middle East.

In fact, we need to build skilled human resources. The news of this corruption-mismanagement-inefficiency is a burning proof of the serious flaws in our education system. We need to create managers. We need to create efficient administrators. And we need people with values. We are very embarrassed when we see that the vice-chancellor of a public university has been accused of recruiting and protesting against corruption in the project. How did the values ​​of our educated people deteriorate so much? Due to factionalism, as a result of placing the incompetent in a big position?

Bangladesh is improving. Our progress in the health sector is also commendable. But we have to focus on creating skilled, ethical, valued people. And a special movement is needed—360 degree movement against corruption. Otherwise, per capita income will increase, but it will go into the pockets of a handful of people, and that money will be smuggled abroad; The majority of the people of the country, who own this state, will remain in the same whale as they are. That is not a promise of liberation war at all.