Page 81 - IBT October 2020
P. 81

Realistically, restricting           invented. The government has to                       we must remember that making a                                          enlighten the general population                     where public health experts had pivotal    have to achieve that on a phase   hospitals. Every human being
                                                community contact is                 implement a practical mandate                         vaccine available for wider public use is                               about the benefits of maintaining                    roles to play. Things have been different   by phase basis. First of all, we   in the world suffers from some
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   require commitment towards
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   the safety regulations, which has
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        this time around. The participation of
                                                                                     which will be convenient for the
                                                                                                                                           time-consuming. It needs to pass
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 form of mental issues that
                                                extremely challenging                general public and failure to                         specific safety and efficacy standards                                  led to their passive attitude                        public health experts have declined over   this goal. It starts with     he/she needs to overcome.
                                                for Bangladesh due to                comply with it will have legal                        before being permitted for broader use.                                 towards the measures.                                the past decade, and it is the result of   identifying the challenges and   However, to ensure it does not
                                                socio-economic and                   implications.                                         Therefore, there should not be any                                      Moving on from the                                   overall failures, including the experts    devising a plan accordingly.  become an impediment to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Moreover, we have a high
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 everyday life, early diagnosis is
                                                                                                                                           pressure to accelerate the process and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        themselves. They are required to
                                                infrastructural                      Do you think we need                                  should be left exclusively to scientists.                               pandemic to our public                               maintain visibility for the interest of the   concentration of doctors/health   essential.
                                                constraints. However,                another lockdown?                                     Considering the magnitude of its                                        health sector, what kind                             general people. Our media deserves a lot   workers in cities. Therefore, we
                                                minimising family                    We have to decide on the necessity                    importance, the government needs to                                     of policy reforms are                                of credit for the way they have covered    need a policy to decentralise the   In Bangladesh,
                                                contact can be achieved              of another lockdown by evaluating                     focus on the capacity building before                                   necessary to recuperate                              the pandemic and focused on expert         health care system.           numerous stakeholders
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 are working in the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   our health sector?
                                                                                                                                           the availability of a vaccine. Different
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        opinions. However, the underlying fact
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   We also have to focus on
                                                                                     advanced modelling. Bangladesh
                                                by isolating the infected            might not require a complete                          countries around the world have                                         Health sector reform is a                            remains that the health experts have       improving the quality of our   health sector,
                                                person while the rest of             lockdown to minimise the                              varying strategies to access the vaccine,                               continuous process; it is                            worked towards national and global         private medical colleges. The   especially NGO(s)
                                                the family members                   infection rate. The nature of                         which ranges from diplomacy to                                          mandatory to ensure a functioning                    recognition.                               standard of quality should be   generating a lot of data
                                                                                                                                           intimidation.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   uncompromising when it comes
                                                remain inside their home             transmission has been different                       Even though we cannot produce a                                         public health sector. The process                    According to a survey, only 5%             to medical professionals.     which we have no
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 mechanism to use. How
                                                                                     throughout the world. The rate has
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ranges from minor reforms to
                                                for a specific period.                varied significantly across various                   vaccine, I am confident our government                                  overhauling of the sector. Right                     of Upazila health employees                Therefore, private universities   can we better use data
                                                                                     districts in Bangladesh.                              is competent to conduct trails and mass                                 now, it is evident that we require a                 have a degree in public health.            and medical colleges should not   to improve our
                                                                                     Ideally, we might require                             distribution by itself. Our effort will be                              complete overhaul.                                   How can we increase the                    be judged on similar criteria.   healthcare system?
                                                                                     area-specific lockdowns. However,                     well supported by our development        As the lockdown                The health sector is everybody's                     competency level of public                 Most importantly, the private   Globally, two terms that are
                                                     adjusting our lifestyles to     the government has to keep in                         partners and the Global Alliance for     restrictions have been         business; its effects are not                        health employees at that                   sector plays a significant role in   being widely used in public
                                                     minimise the risk of getting    mind that lockdown comes with                         Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI)         withdrawn, we see an           limited to a few people. Primarily,                  level?                                     providing health services to our   health are big data and health
                                                     infected. More importantly, we   high economic costs. So, any such                    which are a partner of.                  increasing number of           the sector can be divided between                    In Bangladesh, it is not mandatory for     population. More people take   informatics. Health informatics
                                                     have to maintain case isolation;   measures must be accurately                        On a national level, we have to have a   people in our streets.         medicine and public health.                          public health employees to undergo         private services compared to   relates to the information
                                                     identified patients must be     evaluated and efficiently                             high-level technical committee; if       Also, the number of            Over the last five decades,                          public health training, unlike many        government counterparts. There   generated when service is
             Our government is fearing a             isolated to minimise transmission   implemented.                                      required, it should be devised           deaths and infections          Bangladesh's life expectancy has                     developed countries. Bangladesh            is a visible conflict of interest   provided to a patient. Gathering
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   between the two-sectors when it
                                                                                                                                           exclusively for vaccine distribution. The
                                                                                     The transmission rate of a viral
             second wave of infections               of the virus.                   disease depends on three factors.                     government should expand its lobbying    have become steady in          increased from forty to seventy                      government employees go through            comes to health professionals,   primary data is very costly and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   years; the public health sector
                                                     Unfortunately, case detection is
             during the winter season.               much more difficult in the case of   They are Transmission Probability                efforts to raise funds from international   recent times. Are these     contributed 90% to this                              foundation training before joining their   and it has to be sorted out. It   time-consuming, on the other
             Keeping everything in mind,             COVID-19. Unlike the common     (the rate at which it spreads),  how                  agencies. We have already been           indications that we are        achievement and the rest by                          positions. Incorporating public health     will enable the private sector to   hand, we are automatically
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        training in that course will be beneficial
             how can we best prepare                 cold, the primary symptom of the   long the patient remains infectious                promised funds of the Asian              moving towards herd            clinical health. I am not                            for all the stakeholders in the sector.    operate with much more        getting data in the form of big
             against it?                             disease (loss of taste and smell)   (for COVID-19, the period is five to              Development Bank (ADB) and GAVI.         immunity?                      suggesting that clinical health is                   In the medium term, we can facilitate      autonomy.                     data and informatics, which can
             To be honest,whether it will be         can only be felt by the patient.   six days) and finally the Contact                  The urgency to collect funds must        Without a comprehensive antibody   less important, but it has more                  public health training for everyone. In                                  be used to improve services. It
             identified as the second wave or not    Therefore, awareness must be    Rate. A necessity in reducing the                     persist before the confirmation of the   test, it is impossible to claim that   impacts on increasing the life               the long term, we can redesign our         We have been                  will allow us to make
             has become irrelevant. More             present at an individual level. We   contact rate will prompt a                       vaccine because the situation might      we have achieved herd immunity   expectancy of a population.                        MBBS syllabus to accommodate public        witnessing a sharp rise       data-driven decisions. We need
             importantly, we have to understand      also have to address the process of   lockdown. I believe we will not                 drastically change afterwards.           of any magnitude, which has not   We need to devise a balanced                      health in place of community medicine.     in mental health cases        some technological overhaul to
             that we are in the middle of a          quarantining and its constraints in   require a complete lockdown and                 There needs to be proper planning in     yet been allowed by the        health system where the two                          The change in curriculum and               and violent crimes in         improve the quality of data and
             pandemic which can get worse in the     our country. Realistically,     to be honest, it is not practical                     place for its distribution when the      government. I think the        branches will have equal                             employing capable educators should         our society. From that        expertise to ensure its efficient
             winter. The speculation has prompted    restricting community contact is   considering the constraints.                       vaccine is available. As a lot of it will   authorities should allow antibody   contribution to the sector. The              happen concurrently. The best part of      perspective, what             use.
             us to look for ways to avert the        extremely challenging for                                                             not be available at the initial stage, so   testing for a research purpose; it   reform should be conducted                  public health is that everyone can play a   should be the role of        What is your take on
             situation. Interestingly, public health   Bangladesh due to socio-economic   Our government has                               there needs to be a proper distribution   can provide valuable insights on   according to the designed plan. It              role in its advancement irrespective of    public health in dealing      the current public
             measures remain the same; there has     and infrastructural constraints.                                                      strategy in place before it arrives. The   tackling the pandemic and    has to be inclusive, practical and                   their profession. Public health education   with the rise in mental
             been no recent discovery to suggest     However, minimising family      already assured the mass                              priority list might be based on age,     enhance our understanding of the   carried by experts of our country                has improved in our country over the       health issues?                health education of the
             otherwise. Furthermore, we can put      contact can be achieved by      availability of the                                   gender or region basis. It is essential to   current situation.         exclusively. Most importantly,                       last decade, but currently, there is no    Mental health is a critical topic   country?
             the measures in use more confidently,   isolating the infected person while   COVID-19 vaccine as soon                        understand that those who recovered      However, herd immunity can be   there needs to be the intent and                    central body to guide its graduates.       and should be prioritised in   Public health education has
             as our knowledge of the pandemic        the rest of the family members   as it is available. What                             from COVID-19 will not require a         very quickly achieved by a     political commitment to make                         There is an urgent need to establish a     ensuring better public health. As   improved in our country over
             and its nature has grown                remain inside their home for a   kind of policy and                                   vaccine as long as the antibody lasts.   combination of mask usage and   significant changes.                                Public Health Accreditation Council to     I am not an expert, I am talking   the last decade, but currently,
             significantly.                          specific period.                strategy will enable them                             So, we might require an antibody test    vaccine injection. Currently,                                                       ensure greater professional acceptability   from a layman's perspective   there is no central body to guide
             At the individual level, we have to     Globally, the efforts against the   to deliver on that                                to ensure vaccines are not wasted.       wearing a mast is the most     We know that                                         of public health professionals.            regarding violent crimes. We   its graduates. Numerous private
             continue wearing masks, keeping our     spread of the pandemic have been   promise? Are the national                          Additionally, the government needs to    effective measure to protect   bureaucrats play a                                                                              need to ensure proper mental   universities are offering degrees
             hands clean and maintain social         significantly disrupted by      commissions adequately                                be aware of the adequate storage         against the spread of the      significant role in the                               The patient to doctors/health              evaluation of convicted       in public health which are
             distancing. I understand that the       misinformation, especially      competent and equipped                                conditions of the vaccine and provide    pandemic. If we can strictly follow   health sector's activities.                   workers ratio in Bangladesh is             offenders in our system. Mental   compatible with global
             quest for economic survival has made    regarding wearing a mask. We    to ensure its proper                                  capacity building accordingly. Due to    mask mandates, proper hand     How can we ensure that                               very high. How can we invest               health is an ignored topic in our   standards.
             social distancing very challenging in   need to remove any              distribution?                                         the multidimensional challenges of the   hygiene and social distancing   public health experts play                          resources in the sector to                 society; even patients who are   There is an urgent need to
             Bangladesh, avoiding non-essential      misconceptions and reassure the   It is a very important question                     situation, a robust technical committee   regulations, we can achieve herd   a more significant role in                       efficiently address this                     physically suffering are likely to   establish a Public Health
             social gatherings can also play a       public that wearing a mask is the   because we have become                            focused on the vaccine distribution will   immunity by vaccinating only                                                                                                 develop mental health issues.   Accreditation Council to ensure
             crucial role in preventing the spread   best defence against the COVID-19   psychologically dependent on the                  ensure effective distribution of the     about 30% of our population.   the sector?                                          problem?                                   Mental wellbeing of patients   greater professional
             of the virus. We have to keep           pandemic until a vaccine is     availability of a vaccine. However,                   vaccine in Bangladesh.                   We (health experts/government)   Historically, Bangladesh has a lot                 It is a very complicated topic; resource   should be prioritised in our   acceptability of public health
                                                                                                                                                                                    have failed to engage and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   of public health success stories
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        building will not happen overnight. We
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 professionals.
                                                                                                            75
                                                                                                 www.ibtbd.net
   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86