Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum on Sunday highlighted the toll of the anti-discrimination movement, revealing that 873 individuals lost their lives, and over 21,000 were injured.
Speaking at a meeting titled Involvement of NGOs in Health Services organized by the NGO Affairs Bureau, Noorjahan urged collective efforts to rehabilitate the injured and support those left disabled or jobless.
She called on NGOs to identify individuals who have been overlooked in receiving medical care or have lost their livelihoods due to injuries, such as rickshaw pullers who can no longer work. “Of the 21,000 injured, 400 have lost their eyesight. What future awaits them? These individuals are our own people. We must stand by them during their mental and emotional trauma,” she said.
The Health Adviser emphasized the shared responsibility of government and NGOs to integrate the injured into education and the workforce. “Seventy percent of those injured are common citizens, including rickshaw and van pullers, while the rest are students,” she added.
She also expressed concerns about maternal and child mortality, child marriage, and school dropouts, calling for enhanced collaboration between the government and NGOs to tackle these issues. On the dengue outbreak, she stated, “Deaths from dengue are avoidable if we raise public awareness. Everyone must act responsibly by preventing littering, clearing stagnant water, and staying vigilant.”
Nurjahan Begum further noted corruption and mismanagement in the health sector but expressed hope for improvement through mutual cooperation. “The government alone cannot resolve these issues overnight, but with shared efforts, we can pave the way for progress,” she said.
The discussion, chaired by Acting Director General of the NGO Affairs Bureau Md. Anwar Hossain, was attended by special guests Saifullah Panna, Secretary at the Chief Adviser’s Office, and Md. Saidur Rahman, Secretary of the Health Services Division, along with representatives from local and international NGOs working in healthcare.
