Zahid Maleque
Vaccination of students aged 12-17 to begin within 20 days: Health Minister
Vaccination of students aged between 12 to 17 years will begin within the next 20 days, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday.
The minister announced this at a meeting at Manikganj municipality office premises.
“I had a conversation with the Prime Minister today in this regard. According to her decision, various activities will begin from the next week to vaccinate the children against Covid-19,” said the minister.
The children will be inoculated with US-made Pfizer vaccine doses as it is suitable for them, he said adding that all arrangements have been made to collect the vaccine doses.
Also read: University students must complete vaccine registration by Sept 27: Dipu Moni
As schools and colleges have already been reopened bringing the children under vaccination coverage is necessary for their safety, he added.
The minister also said in the next campaign more than one crore people will get shots.
Already 2.5 crore people have received the shots with 1.5 crore inoculated with two doses, said Zahid Maleque.
Opposition MPs slam mismanagement, politics in health sector
Opposition MPs on Wednesday sharply criticised the government for mismanagement in the health sector, particularly politics by physicians and high fees in private hospitals.
They came up with their harsh remarks while taking part in discussions on the Medical Colleges (Governing Bodies) (Repeal) Bill 2021 in Parliament.
In response to their criticisms of doctors for their involvement in politics, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said all citizens have the right to do politics.
Joining the discussions, Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid (Dhaka-6) said BNP had formed DAB (Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh) and Awami League, coming in power, formed Swachip (Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad).
“We would have been happy had he (Health Minister) incorporated a provision in this bill that the doctors and scientists wouldn’t be allowed to do politics, but he didn’t,” Firoz Rashid said.
He said if the physicians do politics, what would be the job of politicians! “Meritorious students study medical courses. But get deprived of medical services if they do politics,” said Firoz.
BNP MP Harunur Rashid (Chapainawabganj-3) said the health system is still in a sorry state even after the 50 years of the country’s independence. “Now those who’re working in government hospitals are also doing business in private hospitals.”
He said so many private medical colleges were established. “Do the colleges meet the standards? How many students of the colleges can qualify BCS exams?” he said.
Read: Health sector officials and staff directed to refrain from divulging info
Health Minister receives India’s gift of 109 cardiac ambulances
Health Minister Zahid Maleque received a gift of 109 cardiac ambulances from India to fight the Covid-19 pandemic Monday.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami handed over the ambulance keys to the Minister at the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) of the Directorate General of Health Services.
The Health Minister said, “In this trying time of Covid-19 India has once again marked its friendship toward Bangladesh with the ambulance gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
“These ambulances will contribute to increasing the capacity of the hospitals across the country,” he added.
READ: 40 ambulances arrive in Bangladesh
Moreover, the country's Hospital Service Management bought 21 ambulances and 60 more were bought under the Upazila Health Care Operation Plan.
Minister Maleque handed over the ambulances to the directors and representatives of the country’s remote area hospitals and also to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, National Heart Disease Hospital, and Dhaka North City Covid-dedicated hospital.
READ: India sends 40 more ambulances to Bangladesh
Govt plans to provide Covid jabs to two crore people by September
The government aims at vaccinating two crore people against Covid by next month, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Tuesday.
The minister said this at a virtual programme on the occasion of the National Mourning Day, held at Manikganj Government Boys High School ground in Manikganj district.
“We have tried our best to keep people well during the pandemic,” he said.
READ: Vaccine sharing: Dhaka wants EU to be more generous
No more mass Covid vaccination drive as supply is low, says health minister
Bangladesh will not conduct any new mass Covid inoculation drive as the supply of vaccine doses is much lower than the demand, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Monday.
“No more mass inoculation drives will be held in the country now as we do not have adequate vaccines in hand and we’ll not use the word ‘mass’ in future,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.
“We will call people to take jabs whenever we have vaccines in our hand,” he said.
“Those who will get SMS will go to the centres and we do not want to see any no long queues in front of vaccination centres,” said the minister.
READ: No alternative to mass vaccination of apparel workers: BGMEA
Some eight crore people or more can be brought under Covid vaccination within next January and February if the vaccines are available, he hoped.
“A total of 60 lakh doses of Pfizer vaccine will arrive within September in the country and some will arrive this month,” he said adding “We have done a lot of work with vaccines in the past 15 days and many orders have been placed.”
A total of 7.5 crore doses of vaccine has been ordered from China. Besides, we have also got offers from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and we have procured those. I think there will be no scarcity of vaccines,” said Zahid.
“If we get the 16 crore doses of vaccine, we will be able to bring eight crore people under the vaccination programme which will arrive within December,” he said.
“There is a directive to vaccinate workers and we are giving Covid jabs to front liners. All the factory workers will be vaccinated in phases as we want all citizens to get Covid jabs and be safe. The mortality rate among those who received the jabs is less,” he added.
READ: Mass vaccination only solution to Covid crisis: GM Quader
“Now the process to get second doses is underway and we are giving the second dose one month after receiving first dose and the prime minister has already asked to reduce the gap between the two doses and we are thinking to reduce it within 15-20 days,” said the minister.
The minister also urged the country's people to follow health guidelines.
Maintain health protocols to beat Covid: Health Minister
Maintaining health guidelines, taking vaccine shots and wearing masks are now the only means to prevent the Covid-19 spread in Bangladesh as all the restrictions have been lifted fully, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday.
The minister said this while attending a seminar on the 46th death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Mourning Day in the city.
The restrictions imposed for containing the transmission have been lifted in order to save people’s lives and livelihoods, said minister Maleque.
Also read: 54 lakh more vaccine doses to arrive by Aug 15: Minister
Bangladesh to procure 6 crore Sinopharm vaccine doses: Minister
The government will procure six crore more doses of Sinopharm vaccine from China to ramp up the inoculation drive across Bangladesh, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday.
“We’ve signed a deal with China to receive 1.5 crore doses of Sinopharm vaccine. China has already started sending the vaccine doses. We’ll sign another agreement to collect six core more doses as the prime minister has approved it,” he said.
The health minister came up with the disclosure while inaugurating a covid field hospital at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
Also read: Mega Covid inoculation drive begins in Bangladesh
“Of the seven crore doses of Sinopharm vaccine, two crore doses will arrive in October and November each while some more vaccine jabs will come before the two months though those will be less in quantity,” he said.
Looking for hotels for Covid patients as hospitals struggle: Minister
The government is going to rent hotels for providing treatment to Covid patients with mild complications as hospitals are under an unprecedented crisis with huge patients, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Tuesday.
“Already 90 percent of the seats in hospitals have been packed. And 95% ICU beds are also occupied. We’re preparing a field hospital at Bangabandhu Medical University where we can immediately arrange 500-600 beds,” he said.
The minister said, “Everyone infected with corona needs not to be hospitalised. So, we’re thinking of renting hotels for dealing with the patients who’ve mild complications. We’ll have doctors, nurses, medicines, and some oxygen in those hotels.”
He came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting at the Secretariat with Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque in the chair.
Read: Bangladesh’s Covid nightmare: 235 more die, 15,776 infected
Maleque said they have started looking for hotels as they will no longer be able to accommodate the growing number of patients in hospitals. “If we can give treatment to the Covid patients with mild infections at hotels, they’ll be able to go back home after recovery from there, and it will help reduce the pressure on the hospitals. So, we’ve taken this step.”
Govt has set up 16,000 Covid beds since the beginning of pandemic: Zahid Maleque
In the last one and a half years of the Covid-19 pandemic the government has set up 16,000 Covid beds in hospitals across the country, said Health and Family planning Minister Zahid Maleque Monday.
Moreover, 100 central oxygen lines were incorporated during the period, said Minister Maleque while virtually inaugurating the external department service of the Shaheed M Monsur Ali Medical College and Hospital in Sirajganj.
Also read: Covid-19: What life is like when hospitals refuse admission!
The country is now capable of testing 50,000 samples everyday for Covid-19 in an increased number of 650 labs, he added.
Minister Maleque said arrangements will be made for treating Covid patients in the internal department of the hospital as well as in the external department.
Also read: 80pc people to be vaccinated by March: Zahid Maleque
Preparations underway to vaccinate 1 crore people by next week: Minister
Preparations are going on to vaccinate 1 crore people of the country against Covid-19 within the next week, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday.
The minister said this while attending the inauguration ceremony of the 1st year MBBS class at BCPS auditorium in the capital.
The health minister said the return of factory workers to their workplaces without maintaining the health protocols in one day’s notice might worsen the Covid situation.
As Covid infections keep rising in the country, he urged all to abide by health guidelines unfailingly.
A mass vaccination will start at the union level on August 7 and elderly people who do not have NID cards will be able to get vaccinated, said Maleque.
READ: Govt to vaccinate Rohingyas gradually starting with above-55s: Foreign Secretary
“We’re planning to bring pregnant women under the vaccination progamme, '' he added.