Remote areas need more trained anaesthesiologists for safe surgical care: Zubaida

Zubaida Rahman, wife of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, said on Sunday that proper surgical care could be delivered even in the country’s remote areas if an adequate number of trained anaesthesiologists is ensured, noting that Bangladesh currently faces an acute shortage of such professionals.

“At present, there are only 0.58 anaesthesiologists for every 100,000 people, whereas international recommendations say there should be four to five,” she said while addressing the 4th International Anaesthesiology Conference at Hotel InterContinental in the capital.

Zubaida Rahman, who is also Vice President of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation, said the government’s vision is to build a healthy and compassionate Bangladesh where the health of every citizen is given priority.

Bangladesh, with a population of nearly 200 million, has only about 3,000 anaesthesiologists, she said.

She said trained anaesthesiologists and critical care specialists are in short supply across the country’s 64 districts, 53 administrative zones, 4,599 unions and 90,049 villages. Thousands of people are suffering because of long-standing neglect, she added.

Highlighting the role of anaesthesiologists, Dr Zubaida said they do not serve only in operation theatres but play a vital part in overall healthcare. Their contribution is essential in ensuring surgical safety, managing pain, providing critical care and saving lives, she added.

“A strong healthcare system is not built on infrastructure and technology alone, but on skilled, motivated and well-supported professionals,” she said.

She said ensuring the safety, dignity and professional welfare of doctors is directly linked to better and safer patient care, adding that the development of specialised fields such as anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine is among the government’s priorities.

The Bangladesh Society of Anaesthesiologists, Critical Care and Pain Physicians (BSACCPP) organised the conference, attended by leading anaesthesiologists, medical scientists, researchers, teachers and health professionals from home and abroad.

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The theme of the conference was “Anaesthesiologists: Beyond the Operation Theatre”.

Participants discussed and exchanged experiences on the latest advances in anaesthesiology, critical care and pain medicine, modern treatment methods, scientific innovations and future prospects.

Zubaida Rahman expressed hope that the conference would help exchange scientific knowledge, formulate effective recommendations to improve specialist care, expand training opportunities and strengthen the healthcare system in every corner of the country.

Thanking the society for organising the event, she said such programmes would help improve communication and cooperation among professionals, raising the standard of patient care and the professional skills of doctors in Bangladesh.

At the programme, three physicians were given lifetime achievement awards, one received the Research and Innovation Gold Medal, and four were awarded the SN Samad Chowdhury Gold Medal.

Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit, Ziaur Rahman Foundation Executive Director Dr Farhad Haleem Donar, MP and Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Prof Dr SM Rafiqul Islam Bachchu, Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr FM Siddiqui, Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB) President Prof Dr Harun Al Rashid and its former president Prof Dr AKM Azizul Haque, among others, were present.