All government hospitals in the country are being instructed to provide free fast-track medical services to those injured in the anti-discrimination movement for life, said Special Assistant Professor of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman.
He said that those injured in the anti-discrimination movement will be provided with completely free fast-track medical services. This instruction is being given to all hospitals in the country. The injured in all government hospitals will receive all types of treatment for life free of charge.
He said this at a press conference held on Thursday (November 21) afternoon in front of the office of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation in Shahabagh under the initiative of the ‘July Shaheed Smriti Foundation’ and the ‘Ministry of Health’ on the government’s plan for the treatment, rehabilitation and employment of the students and people martyred and injured in the July-August Revolution.
Stating that the cabin block of BSMMU Hospital has been adopted as a multi-disciplinary hospital, Sayedur Rahman said that the injured, who are scattered in different hospitals in Dhaka, are being requested to contact the cabin block of BSSMU as needed through screening. The ground floor of BSMMU's specialized hospital has been completely dedicated for the outpatient service of the injured. Physiotherapy services will be added there in phases.
Stating that the government is taking the initiative of robotic physiotherapy, he said that all the equipment available for this will be installed in BSMMU or other places where facilities are available. If necessary, an expert team will be brought from abroad in the initial stage to provide this service.
Sayedur Rahman said that all the hospitals and specialized hospitals in the country will be brought under a network. There will be dedicated beds for the injured in the divisional hospitals and specialized hospitals and the injured will be able to easily see on the dashboard where which service is available. Specialist doctors are being brought in from abroad to treat those who have been shot in the eyes, and if necessary, the injured are being sent to specific hospitals abroad for advanced treatment as per the advice of experts.
He said that a central facility will be set up at the Institute of Mental Health to treat the mental trauma or injuries of those injured in the movement, and the country's government and private institutions experienced in this matter will be included under this network. There, screening will be provided through telemedicine and in-person counseling for the injured.
Regarding the sending of the injured abroad, Special Assistant Professor of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman said, there is confusion and misinformation among people about this. We want to clarify this, on behalf of the Bangladesh government, we want to clarify that whoever needs it and has the possibility of getting advanced treatment, the government is making the best efforts.
At the press conference, Sarjis Alam, General Secretary of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation and Coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said that the ongoing work to prepare a list of martyrs and injured in the July-August uprising of students, workers and the public is being accelerated and a complete and accurate list is being published very quickly through a proper verification process.
Stating that maximum efforts will be made to publish the complete list of martyrs and injured by December 31, he said, "From our side, we want the list of injured not to be questioned today, but even after twenty years. That is why we are verifying with utmost care through various stakeholders, even if it takes time. We will try to complete the verification of the information that the martyr's family has by November."
Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, Chief Executive Officer of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation, said that the maximum limit for providing financial assistance to the injured from the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation has been increased from Tk. 1 lakh to Tk. 3 lakh based on the classification of the injured.
He said, it has come to our attention that many people have already spent a lot of money on treatment. An initiative has been taken by the July Smriti Foundation to return the money for that treatment. Of course, this money is not related to the Tk. 3 lakh. It is completely different. If you submit the amount of money spent to our cell along with documents, we will return the money to the injured after proper verification.
Khandaker Zahirul Islam (Additional Secretary), the team leader of the Special Cell on Mass Uprising, said that the government will make a specific policy for the rehabilitation of the injured.
Many people were injured in the July movement, who were physically injured and have created a situation that may hinder their path to return to work. For this, the government will establish some economic and social institutions so that employment can be arranged for the injured. The government has plans to arrange employment for the families of those who were martyred and the family members of those who lost their ability due to injuries.