Thousands suffering as healthcare comes to standstill at NINMAS

Thousands of patients suffering from cancer and other critical diseases receive treatment at the National Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (NINMAS), located on the campus of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).

However, for the past one and a half months, this specialized institution has been experiencing a significant slowdown in its healthcare services.

As a result, approximately 10,000 thyroid cancer patients, both regular and new, are facing severe difficulties.

According to several doctors at NINMAS, the situation arose after a physicist, rather than a senior medical professional, was appointed as the director of the institution on October 7. NINMAS, a specialized medical institution, operates under the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Recently, doctors at NINMAS sent separate letters to the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. The letters outlined the reasons for the stagnation, emphasizing that appointing Ferdousi Begum, a physicist, as the director has disrupted medical services at NINMAS for the first time in its history.

A special meeting was held among the doctors and staff at NINMAS to address the situation. They physically submitted their appeals to the office of the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, detailing the issues at hand. Subsequently, Professor Dr. Shamim Momtaz, a member (Planning) of the commission, visited NINMAS and requested the doctors to withdraw their protest. She assured them that a resolution would be reached within a week through discussions at the commission. However, despite repeated follow-ups and promises, no concrete steps have been taken, leading to frustration among the doctors, staff, and employees.

In the letters, the doctors highlighted that the directors of all other medical colleges and universities in the country are medical professionals. They argued that only a qualified medical professional can effectively coordinate and make clinical decisions in collaboration with other doctors and specialists in a specialized institution like NINMAS.

NINMAS is the nucleus of nuclear medicine in Bangladesh and plays a vital role in providing specialized healthcare services and training future specialists through its MD courses. The director's position at NINMAS is not merely an administrative role but a clinical one, requiring the expertise of an experienced and skilled clinician.

Speaking anonymously, several doctors stated, "NINMAS handles the treatment and follow-up of 10,000 cancer patients regularly. For this enormous task, it is essential to have an experienced and specialized medical professional as the director to ensure proper treatment for these patients."

In response, NINMAS Director Ferdousi Begum told Views Bangladesh, “If a doctor can serve as the chairman or a member of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, where all the work involves scientists, why can't a physicist be the director of the National Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences? A scientist served as the director here back in 1992. Besides, I will retire in March. I am here only until then.”

She added, "The treatment services at NINMAS are running as usual. However, patient numbers typically decline somewhat during November and December each year.”