The Health Minister has often defended his staff from corruption accusations. However he hasn’t done so regarding their efficiency and performance. This is good. He is a realist and knows that it isn’t exactly a shining example of quality performance. However, why he can’t make them perform better is not explained.
People have little interest in political matters but they do care about life and living. And they would certainly like some mechanism to exist that would make such performances better. Nobody seems to know how to ensure that, so some people think that elections matter. However, no elected government has had a happy reign in Bangladesh. And right now the responsibility falls on the GOB more than others. And in this world of corona, the Health ministry matters most.
Problem is, few could say what is the task of the Health ministry ? Are they corrupt? Yes. But then so are the rest so why should their corruption matter most? Nobody cares in Bangladesh who is corrupt and who is not. It’s generally held that almost everyone is. It’s a bit of performance that matters.
In the last one year, which action of the said Ministry contributed to the reduction of the crisis should be identified. This would actually assure many people that they are safer than they feel now. However, that’s not easy because the reasons for which it’s going to be remembered have more to do with purchases at absurd prices be it PPE or masks or any of the crisis purchases. Even the Finance Ministry, hardly the paragon of a guardian of public spending, has rebuked them for not going for public tenders when making such purchases.
This piece is not about corruption but regular inability to ensure quality performance of the health sector. Vaccination hassle is not theirs as several ministries, groups, lobbies, individuals and clusters are responsible but it’s in the routine health services that it’s failing. Media has not just pointed out the corruption angle but also the refusal of the ministry to go by the advice of experts. If the ministry doesn’t listen to them, why should the higher decision makers bother about the Health ministry?
It’s possible that the authorities have thought that the virus is just like the people of Bangladesh. It can be easily ignored and when ignored for long will disappear. That it’s not necessary to bother about it. But as the world has learnt at a hard price, this virus is the smartest one ever to land on this earth. It has managed to elude every government on earth and Bangladesh is not exactly a model of competence. So this one is not about to run away helpless.
Unless the Health ministry shows actual progress in fighting the virus, shutdowns, lockdowns and all else will not matter much. Is the will to fight the virus in them ? . The virus has become the mirror of global performance. Can our health ministry expect to pass that exam?
