Koyra (Khulna) Correspondent

A human chain was held to demand a seven-point solution to the health service crisis facing the people of Koyra, the most remote and inaccessible coastal upazila of Khulna district.
The human chain was organized on Thursday (September 4) morning in front of the Upazila Parishad by the Koyra Upazila branch of the Bangladesh Human Rights Bureau. Leaders of various local organizations and prominent people of the area participated in the human chain in solidarity with the demands.
After the human chain, a memorandum was handed over to Koyra Upazila Executive Officer Md. Abdullah Al Baki to be presented to the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services.

The speakers in the human chain said, Due to the extreme shortage of doctors, poor infrastructure and lack of necessary services in the upazila health complex, people have to rush to the district town even for minimal treatment.
All types of operations, including cesarean sections, have been closed for three long years. There is no testing system.
Due to poverty, diseases are becoming complicated without treatment. The 50-bed hospital is practically limited to a 19-bed building.
The 31-bed building is abandoned, and the work on the new building allocated in 2022 has also stalled.

The speakers also said that there is no female doctor in the upazila.
Apart from pediatricians, there are no doctors for the very necessary gynecological, surgical, and medical specialists, including any junior consultant posts.
Although a specialist doctor has been appointed by the ministry, he does not stay in Koira due to the lack of proper residential facilities.
Occasionally, he comes from Khulna city for a day or two and receives a full month’s salary by providing nominal services.
In addition, he manages the Civil Surgeon/Divisional Health Director and is attached elsewhere on posting.
A few medical officers are struggling to serve a large population. Since cesarean operations are closed, pregnant women are facing extreme difficulties.
In times of emergency, one has to travel long distances to the district town at extreme risk.
As a result, the risk of death of pregnant mothers and children has increased alarmingly.
In addition, the only sub-health center located in Koyra Sadar, the center of seven unions in the upazila, is closed due to manpower and infrastructure shortages.
The civic leaders sought the kind intervention of the appropriate authorities to take quick and effective initiatives to bring the suffering people of Koyra under the ambit of basic healthcare.
The human chain was presided over by the organization’s Koyra Upazila President, journalist Tariqul Islam.
In his speech, he raised seven demands to resolve the health service crisis. The demands are, starting other operations including cesarean section at the Koyra Health Complex, ensuring pathology tests, ultrasonography and X-ray services at the hospital, posting of sufficient doctors and manpower including gynecologists, medicine and surgery specialists, construction of modern residential buildings to keep doctors at work and ensuring improved working environment, quickly completing the work of a new 31-bed building and starting full-fledged treatment, renovation of the Koyra sub-health center and posting of doctors and construction of a 50-bed modern hospital in Koyra Sadar.
He called on the authorities to take effective steps for implementation, not just assurances.
Speaking at the event were HM Shahabuddin, the repeatedly elected former chairman of Koyra Sadar Union and a prominent social worker, Master Saduddin Ahmed, the former chairman of Maharajpur Union and president of Koyra Press Club, Lecturer Nuruzzaman, executive member of the Koyra Upazila branch of the Bangladesh Human Rights Bureau, retired army officer Anwar Hossain, convener of the Coastal and Sundarbans Conservation Movement, and Russell, the brother of a sister who died during delivery.
Among others present at the event were Kamal Hossain, vice-president of the organizing organization and general secretary of Koyra Press Club, GM Monayem Billah, executive member Maulana Sohrab Hossain, chairman of Sundarban Charity Abul Hasan, director of Believer’s Aid Md. Mejbah Uddin, journalists Nazrul Islam, Saidul Islam, Farhad Hossain, Koyra Upazila President of Ganadhikar Parishad Yasin, former leader of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Mosharraf Hossain Ratul, Galib, Imdadul, general secretary of Koyra Blood Bank Abdul Alim, Akibur, and others. The event was hosted by Md. Imtiaz Uddin, general secretary of Koyra Unnayan Sangram Samyani Parishad and Koyra representative of Prothom Alo, and Mostafizur Rahman, general secretary of the organizing organization.