Chief Adviser of the interim government Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday (Jan 1) inaugurated the health card distribution programme of the Ministry of Health to ensure free health treatment to the victims of the July uprising in the country’s all public hospitals. The Chief Adviser inaugurated the programme at the state guest house Jamuna in Dhaka in the evening. Muhammad Yunus handed over health cards to two students, who were injured in the uprising at the function. The injured who received the health cards are Ifat Hossain, a student of Narsingdi United College, and Israt Jahan Emu, a student of the Disaster Management Department at Dhaka University, local media reported.
Ifat lost his eyesight in police firing in Narsingdi during the movement on Jul 19 last year. Israt, who was seriously injured in an attack of banned Chhatra League on female students at DU on Jul 15, is currently undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). The Chief Advisor spoke to both of them and inquired about their medical treatment and other issues.
According to the Ministry of Health, the health cards will be distributed every week at a specific district among those injured in the July uprising.
Speaking on the occasion, Director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology Professor Khair Ahmed Chowdhury informed the chief adviser of the treatment of the injured people. "So far, 1,074 people have received treatment from the Institute of Ophthalmology. Of them, 39 people have lost their both eyes permanently and about 450 have lost the vision of their one eye," he said.
He said about 650 operations have been conducted for eye injuries. “Of those, more than 300 retinal surgeries were conducted in the second phase,” he added.
Khair said operations were conducted on 60 patients in two hospitals outside the Institute of Ophthalmology and some patients having eye injuries also need operations in the third phase.
Physicians from China, France, Nepal and the United States have already visited the Institute of Ophthalmology and they expressed satisfaction over the treatment being provided to the patients, he said. He said 65 patients have already recovered from eye injuries at the Institute of Ophthalmology.
National Institute of Traumatology & Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) Director Dr. Md Abul Kenan informed the Chief Adviser of the progress of his hospital's treatment providing to the injured in the mass uprising.
So far, hands or legs of 21 patients were amputated at their hospital and they are assessing conditions of some patients to send them abroad for better treatment.
Kenan said most of the patients undergoing treatment will recover gradually and they are out of danger now.
At the function, Prof Yunus said having this health card means that the cardholders will always get treatment free of cost at any government hospital in the country. Mentioning that it is the state's responsibility to ensure medical care for the fighters injured in the July uprising, he said: “We will do that. There is no reason to worry about the financial security of the families of the martyrs and the injured.”
Dr. Yunus said the government will ensure their financial security apart from considering the mental and social rehabilitation of the injured ones in the July uprising. “This should be given importance. Proper measures should be taken so that they can live their lives happily and be established in the society,” he added.
In addition to ensuring their health treatment, Muhammad Yunus said attention must be paid to their mental health.
Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum, Special Assistant at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Professor Dr. Md Sayedur Rahman, Information Adviser Nahid Islam, Health Secretary Md Saidur Rahman and July Shaheed Smriti Foundation Chief Executive Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha and its Secretary Sarjis Alam were present, among others.
