[afro-nets] MDs from Bangladesh are willing to join...(4)

[Dr. Shamim ul Moula <shamimul.moula@gmail.com>]

MDs from Bangladesh are willing to join...(4)
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Dear Mr. Stuart Rennie,

Yes, Bangladesh has vast population, especially in the rural ar-
eas and doctor patient ratio is not encouraging (1:8,000 ap-
proximately) for MBBS and higher doctors. But nowaday Bangladesh
has a huge number of rural medical practitioners and other para-
medics acting as the first line of defence in the rural areas.
Although population is vast, Bangladesh has effective referral
and networking systems in health service delivery through Gov-
ernment, large number of NGOs/CBOs and private sectors and the
progress is encouraging so far, although still there is lacking
which is also true for many developing countries. Say for an ex-
ample, Tanzania has doctor patient ration of 1:29,000 and that
is worst than the Bangladesh situation.

But the thing is that, for an emergency medical team, a doctor
usually stays not more than a month in maximum and Bangladesh,
Pakistan and India have the tradition of helping each other in
the way which is also true for other countries in need.

So, it is not that absence of a few doctors in Bangladesh for a
few days will make the situation worse, but the victims of the
disaster can get precious, even life saving services from them.
Also these volunteers will be able to communicate with the lo-
cals as most of them can speak and understand each others lan-
guages as they are almost from the same cultural and religious
background with century old traditional bondages. Once deployed
in the field, these medical doctors can live on the disaster ar-
eas of Pakistan, Kashmir or India better than any one as they
have almost the same food and lifestyles in comparison to the
other volunteer MDs from distant regions of the world and cul-
tures (population may be culturally and religiously conserva-
tive).

Local knowledge, indigenous skills, cultural homogeneousness,
languages and capacities of easy mixing can render them better
opportunities.

These were my logics for Bangladeshi MDs, but in this crisis, I
also welcome MDs from other regions of the world in the earth-
quake devastated areas of the mentioned countries as they are
really in need and according to media, information is there that
still there are places where no medical assistance has reached
yet. Proper and quick activities like "health emergency in large
population" regarding medical triage, public health and emer-
gency vaccination etc. in the camp like condition can still save
many in need there.

Best regards,

Dr. Shamim ul Moula
MBBS, PGDHHM, Ph.D.

Deputy Director
Dhaka Ahsania Mission

Ex-Medical Officer, Natural Disaster Preparedness and Response
MSF-Holland in Bangladesh (2000)
mailto:shamimul.moula@gmail.com