Finance Minister AMA Muhith has ruled out several lawmakers’ complaints that doctors do not stay at the upazila health complexes.

“Sorry, I cannot accept your complaints. Now a good number of doctors stay in the upazilas,” Muhith said at a pre-budget discussion at the NEC auditorium in Dhaka today.

Motahar Hossain, chairman of the Parliamentary committee on primary and mass education, proposed introduction of rural health care service.

The finance minister said, the existing system is good. In reply, Motahar Hossain again said, now no doctor stays at the upazila health complexes. Some other lawmakers also supported Hossain.  But Muhith became agitated and denied the complaint.

Later, Simin Hossain Rimi MP, chairman of the standing committee on cultural affairs ministry said, among 494 upazilas in the country her upazila Kapasia is no 8.  She said 10 specialist doctors were supposed to stay there but now there are only two of them.

She said, no anesthetist is available in Kapasia upazila health complex. She said she brought doctors through special arrangement to meet the needs of the patients at the health complex.

She also said, the doctors leave the upazila health complexes for either higher education or through lobbying by Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad (Swachip).

After this the finance minister did not say anything.