Brig. Gen. Dr Nurun Nahar Fatema Begum, who has been given the Swadhinata Padak or Independence Award—the highest state award from the Bangladesh government—for 2019, dreams that a cardiovascular diseases hospital would be established for children, wherein young patients of indigent families can get free medical treatment.

“The government can establish a cardiovascular diseases hospital for children, like the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), since the number of child patients of cardiovascular diseases is increasing across the country,” she said in the course of an interview with The Independent.

Dr Nahar, professor and head of the department of paediatric cardiology at the Combined Medical Hospital (CMH), Dhaka, said, quoting a study conducted by the CMH, “At least 25 in every 1,000 children were born with congenital heart disease (CHD) annually in Bangladesh. The infant mortality rate of 54 per 1,000 live births in the country is also caused a lot by the death of infants from congenital heart disease,” she said. Dr Nahar, who has pioneered CHD treatment for infants over the past 32 years in Bangladesh, added: “I hope and also believe that the government will take the initiative to establish a specialised cardiovascular diseases hospital for the children.”

Dr Nahar disclosed that she has a charity foundation named Wadud Zoimumnessa Foundation at her village town Borolekha in Moulvibazar district. Dr Nahar passed her MBBS from the Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital in 1985 and then obtained FCPS, FRCP and FACC degrees. Dr Nahar’s husband is also a doctor of CMH, and is now a retired colonel. She shared her training experience at the Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Saudi Arabia. She was also worked in the foreign hospital as a registrar in the paediatric cardiac department.

Dr Nahar received the Independence award from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a programme at Bangabandhu International Convention Centre on March 25. Dr Nahar received the Independence award from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a programme at Bangabandhu International Convention Centre on March 25. She was one of 13 people and organisations who received the Swadhinata Padak in 2019.

BK