The completion and certificate distribution of a Rural Medical Practitioners (RMP) training course in three days only, conducted by Dinajpur civil surgeon office in December last year has created sensation across the district after the issue remerged during last few days.
Besides the MBBS doctors working in the district’s public hospitals and private clinics, the issue has infuriated the existing village doctors who obtained the certificates completing the usual 21-day course, alleged sources.
It has been alleged that being directed by district civil surgeon Dr Md Abdul Kuddus, Khansama upazila health and family planning officer Dr Abu Reza Md Mahmudul Haque, conducted the RMP fresher’s training course at the latter’s upazila health office, completing the 21-day syllabus in just three days with two sessions per day.
The course, starting on December 27 of the last year and ending on December 30 through distribution of certificates among the 105 participants at Khansama upazila health complex, was held by recently-founded non-government organisation RMP Welfare Society, ignoring the regulations of the Health Department deliberately.
It has been also alleged that organisers collected around Tk 18 lakh from the participants of the course.
Contacted over the issue, the civil surgeon instead of providing due explanation, threatened this correspondent ‘to see’.
A participant of the course from Sadar upazila, on anonymity, said they took Tk 8.500 as course fee from each participant which is more than double of the amount taken usually elsewhere in the country for this course.The frustrated youth who did not agree to disclose identity fearing harassment said even an auto-rickshaw driver Pakerhat area in Khansama has obtained one certificate.
A former health department official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The civil surgeon has indulged in various corruptions. It is rumoured that he never signs a file without money.”
“Without any permission from the Health Department, he personally instructed the upazila health official to administer the RMP course, only being bribed by the organisers. News of corruption have been published in local and national newspapers against the existing civil surgeon in earlier times also, but he shamelessly is openly carrying out his misdeeds,” said the retired official, adding otherwise how could he conduct a 3-day RMP course and distribute certificates. The misdeed has angered the village doctors who obtained regular certificates.
It has infuriated the MBBS doctors of the district also, he observed.
Contacted, Khansama upazila health officer Dr Abu Reza Md Mahmudul Haq said, "I have nothing to do. I am taking the course at upazila health complex being instructed by the civil surgeon.”
In reply to a query over whether they had obtained any permission from the Health Department, he kept mum. Contacted over the issue, Civil Surgeon Abdul Kuddus categorically denied the allegation, saying no such training course has been held.
Asked further over Khansama upazila health official’s claim, the civil surgeon became agitated over the phone. “I will teach you a good lesion if you publish the report,” he threatened this correspondent.”