Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said that the United Nations (UN) has urged its member states to formulate policies and laws so that excessive use of antibiotics can be prevented. The minister revealed the information during an exclusive interview with UNB, held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, on Sunday. During the interview, the health minister informed that the issue of antibiotics use received special focus during the 77th session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Read: Bangladesh makes progress in efforts to locally produce Covid-19 vaccines: Health Minister “This year, UNGA held three sessions on health, in which I had participated. The antibiotics issue, particularly resistance to antibiotics, was widely discussed during these sessions. Countries present during the sessions expressed great concern over the fact that people all over the world were often using antibiotics without prescriptions, and it was discovered that people from low and middle income countries were using antibiotics more than people from rich countries,” Zahid Maleque said. The minister added that one of the reasons why antibiotics use is so widespread is because a lot of medicines are sold over-the-counter. “Anyone can buy antibiotic medicine from the medicine stores directly, without showing any prescription. People are developing antibiotic resistance due to such overuse, which means antibiotics can’t cure the illness for which it is consumed. As a result, many people are dying around the world not from sickness, but from overusing drugs,” the minister commented. Read: First dose of Covid-19 vaccine won’t be administered after Oct 3: Health Minister Replying to a question, the minister said that Bangladesh’s healthcare system was praised during the UN session. “Our success in Covid-19 management has been lauded by all. Besides, the medicines we produce and export were also acclaimed. We screened a documentary in which we have highlighted our achievements in the health sector, which was well received. All in all, the response has been mostly positive,” Zahid Maleque said. Terming antibiotic resistance as a terrifying phenomenon, he added that the UN has emphasized the need for inventing new antibiotics that are more effective than the existing ones. Read “Won’t allow anyone to do business in the name of healthcare” “At the UN session, member states have been urged to provide healthcare services in proper ways. They have also been asked to ensure that no one can avail medicine like antibiotics without prescriptions. Most importantly, the countries present at the session have pledged to make sure that everyone gets treated by an expert doctor, and doesn’t consume drugs without sufficient reason,” the minister concluded.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said that the ongoing drive against illegal healthcare facilities in Bangladesh will continue so that no one can do business with peoples’ lives. The minister said this after visiting Rajshahi Sadar Hospital on Thursday (September 15, 2022) morning. “We won’t let any healthcare facility operate if they don’t provide services in a proper way,” the Minister said. Also read: Health minister places icddr,b bill in Parliament Replying to a question, Zahid added that those healthcare facilities which have been closed will remain so until they use proper medical accessories and manpower. “According to the government’s rule, no healthcare facility can operate without licenses. Till now, we’ve closed down around 2,000 hospitals and clinics due to not having licenses. We have some conditions that the healthcare facilities will have to follow if they want to continue their operation,” the minister added. About Rajshahi Sadar Hospital, Zahid said that he has found a shortage of manpower there and will address the issues through outsourcing and recruitment. Also read: Pharmacies in Dhaka to remain open all day: Health Minister Besides, the minister has also assured of upward expansion of the hospital building so that the hospital can accommodate a large number of patients.