PM: Necessary steps taken to contain measles outbreak

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told parliament on Wednesday that the government has taken the necessary steps to contain the measles outbreak.
“Many of our children have died of measles. However, we are trying to control the situation,” he said, replying to a supplementary question from opposition lawmaker from Gazipur-4 constituency, Salah Uddin Ahmed.
The prime minister reiterated that “vaccines were not imported during the Awami League regime and the interim government.”
“All political parties together have driven an autocratic regime out of this country. However, it is unfortunate that during that regime, and even more regrettably during the interim government, measles vaccines for children were not imported from abroad for several years,” he said in Parliament.
He attributed the outbreak to the halt in vaccine imports.
However, the current government will be able to vaccinate nearly 20 million children across the country, thanks to a swift response from UNICEF, he added.
The prime minister also acknowledged a shortage of measles testing kits.
“There is a shortage of testing kits used to detect measles. However, the government is working on this issue as well. Many kits have already arrived. Each kit can be used for three tests. Some kits are currently stuck at airport customs, and we will take steps to release them quickly, InshaAllah,” he said.
Meanwhile, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain asserted that the country has sufficient stocks of all types of vaccines.
“There is no shortage of vaccines. We will be able to provide vaccines for the next six months,” he told reporters after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch the Bangladesh-China Joint Surgical Clinic at Shahbagh in the capital on Wednesday.
The MoU was signed between Bangladesh Medical University and Kunming Medical University of China.
Sakhawat Hossain said China is providing all kinds of cooperation to help take Bangladesh forward. The agreement has been reached due to the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries, he said, recalling that China stood by Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On expanding healthcare services with Chinese cooperation, the minister said improved medical care would be delivered to the doorsteps of marginalised people through mobile services and joint surgical clinics, adding that the MoU was signed to this end.
The minister said 100,000 health workers will be appointed soon to address the manpower shortage. In addition, 10 armed Ansar personnel will be deployed to ensure the security of doctors at all upazila-level hospitals, he added.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen expressed hope that mutual cooperation between the two countries in the healthcare sector would reach new heights.
Bangladesh Medical University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr FM Siddiqui presided over the event.