TIB report ‘mala fide’, says health minister

Health Minister Mohammed Nasim has once again asked the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) to give him specific report of alleged corruption and irregularities in health sector or else he will consider its Thursday’s report ‘mala fide’.

The Berlin-based graft watchdog on Thursday came out with a plethora of corruption charges alleging that doctors recruited on ad-hoc basis in the last couple of years paid between Tk 0.3 million and Tk 0.5 million to get the job.

TIB did not talk to the appointed doctors for the report. It prepared the report based on focus group discussion (FGD) with 36 people who are working in different capacities in the health sector.

The report also claimed lack of governance, improper implementation of laws, and politics stand in the way of removing corruption and irregularities from the health sector.

After the report, the minister, replying journalists' question, asked TIB to refrain from making “sweeping allegations” against any sector.

File Photo

“If you have specific allegations, I’ll look into it,” he had said.

Speaking at the inauguration of an international conference in Dhaka on Friday, he said Bangladesh bagged UN awards for the achievements in the health sector.

“But some people are shy of telling Bangladesh’s success stories,” he said, asking TIB to provide him with specific report of corruption. “I can guarantee you, I’ll take steps”.

“But if you cannot (give specific report), I’ll think the report was prepared with a mala fide intention,” he said.

He also asked Bangladeshis not to belittle the country’s success stories.

“We have lot of success stories to tell, foreigners tell our success stories, but the report did not mention those. It’s an one-sided report”.

TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman, while releasing the report on Thursday, said they would not give any specific names.

“It’s not our mandate. It’s a qualitative report that we put forward for consideration and necessary action.”

The report also accused the members of the ruling Awami League backed doctors group Swachip of being involved in doctors and health officials’ appointment.

Swachip Secretary General Prof Iqbal Arslan, talking to bdnews24.com on Thursday, also had sought specific names of those allegedly taken bribes.

The health minister was officially inaugurating the four-day 18th scientific conference of the Federation of the Asia and the Oceania Perinatal Societies (FAOPS) that actually began on Thursday.