The government is set to deploy 10 Ansar members to each upazila health complex soon to ensure the safety and security of healthcare providers.
Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain confirmed the development to reporters after attending a programme at Bangladesh Medical University today.
The minister said they held a meeting with the prime minister today, and as per the decision, Ansar members will be deployed to all Upazila Health Complexes (UHCs) within the next few days.
The development came days after doctors at a conference of Upazila Health and Family Planning Officers (UHFPO), in the presence of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, on April 18, expressed concern over their security.
The prime minister also assured them that necessary measures would be taken.
Monzur Al Murshed Chowdhury, president of the UHFPO Forum of Bangladesh, said they had learned about the deployment of Ansar personnel at UHCs.
He said five to seven untoward incidents occur on average each month, where the safety of health workers at UHC is compromised. Therefore, they demanded necessary security measures, including the deployment of Ansar or a dedicated health police force.
They hope that deploying 10 Ansar members at each upazila health complex will ensure their safety, he added.
Meanwhile, the health ministry today wrote to the finance ministry seeking approval to appoint 4,950 Ansar members in three categories for deployment at 495 Upazila Health Complexes (UHCs).
According to the letter, it would cost around Tk 150 crore annually to hire the Ansar personnel.
FP/MI
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