Health of the urban poor needs more attention

The government is not doing enough to protect the health of the urban poor and Paribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba), an organisation of green activists, rightly urged the government to take proper initiatives immediately to provide proper healthcare facilities to low income people of the urban areas.

The sanitation condition in slum areas—and they are so many in Bangladesh—is very unhealthy and people specially the children living in the slums suffer from different chronic stomach ailments. It is a common sight that faeces float in the open drains of slum areas. Children that do not get proper nutrition in the unclean environment of slums do not grow as worthy citizens of the country and their life becomes a burden for themselves. They contribute little to their country.

Yet these urban people make a large portion of the population be they in the capital or other divisional and district towns. These people are obviously in need of support of the government and Poba’s Thursday’s seminar on ‘City environment and health protection of low income people’ marking the World Health Day to be observed tomorrow is apt.

In the government hospitals in the capital where mostly the low income group of people crowds as OPD and IPD patients, the treatment arrangement is meager. Added to this is the pervasive corruption that is ailing the public health sector. Health is a basic right of all citizens of the country, but there are affluent people in society who do need to depend on the public health service.

But poor and the low income group of urban people has nowhere to live, but in the unhealthy conditions of slums, nowhere to go, but to the public health centres where number of health professionals as well as other facilities are inadequate. But it is the government that has to take the responsibility of improving the living condition and providing health support to the poor people everywhere in the country not just in the urban slams.

Bangladesh is advancing economically with concomitant development in lifestyle. But if a large number of people languish in ill health and poverty, the lopsided development of society is not desirable. That is why the government must take steps to improve health and living conditions of poor people of slums everywhere.           

 

 

Health of the urban poor needs more attention

The government is not doing enough to protect the health of the urban poor and Paribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba), an organisation of green activists, rightly urged the government to take proper initiatives immediately to provide proper healthcare facilities to low income people of the urban areas. The sanitation condition in slum areasand they are so many in Bangladeshis very unhealthy and people specially the children living in the slums suffer from different chronic stomach ailments. It is a common sight that faeces float in the open drains of slum areas. Children that do not get proper nutrition in the unclean environment of slums do not grow as worthy citizens of the country and their life becomes a burden for themselves. They contribute little to their country. Yet these urban people make a large portion of the population be they in the capital or other divisional and district towns. These people are obviously in need of support of the government and Pobas Thursdays seminar on City environment and health protection of low income people marking the World Health Day to be observed tomorrow is apt. In the government hospitals in the capital where mostly the low income group of people crowds as OPD and IPD patients, the treatment arrangement is meager. Added to this is the pervasive corruption that is ailing the public health sector. Health is a basic right of all citizens of the country, but there are affluent people in society who do need to depend on the public health service. But poor and the low income group of urban people has nowhere to live, but in the unhealthy conditions of slums, nowhere to go, but to the public health centres where number of health professionals as well as other facilities are inadequate. But it is the government that has to take the responsibility of improving the living condition and providing health support to the poor people everywhere in the country not just in the urban slams. Bangladesh is advancing economically with concomitant development in lifestyle. But if a large number of people languish in ill health and poverty, the lopsided development of society is not desirable. That is why the government must take steps to improve health and living conditions of poor people of slums everywhere.