Vaccination centre demolished in Mirpur, healthcare services halted

Allegations have emerged of an attack, vandalism and looting at the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur-1 of the capital at midnight. The organisation claimed that the attackers demolished the entire establishment, including a pucca building and three semi-pucca buildings. The organisation also claimed that the looting and vandalism caused damage worth about Tk 1.5 crore.

Executive Director of Radda MCH-FP Centre, Dr Nasrin Akhter, conveyed the information on Friday morning.

Dr Nasrin Akhter said that in partnership with the government, the Radda MCH-FP Centre has been providing free primary healthcare, maternal and family planning services to the poor, helpless and children of the area for about 50 years. It was an important healthcare centre for thousands of women and children in the area.

The organisation claimed that around 12am on Thursday night, more than 250 masked individuals under the banner of 'Sammanona Dokandar Samabaya Samiti Ltd' attacked the clinic with local weapons. They held two security guards on duty hostage, entered the premises and carried out vandalism and looting. At one point, they took control of the clinic and obstructed the entry of ordinary people.

The organisation alleged that the attackers took away government Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) vaccines, official immunisation registers and documents, various family planning equipment and materials, medicines and vaccines, around Tk 11.40 lakh in cash, an ultrasound machine worth about Tk 45 lakh, a generator, three refrigerators, three air conditioners, CCTV cameras, three steel almirahs, five steel file cabinets, laboratory equipment and reagents, two televisions, two computers, two laptops, two printers and various furniture.

Later, the entire establishment, including a pucca building and three semi-pucca buildings, was demolished with heavy machinery, the organisation alleged. A signboard of 'Sammanona Dokandar Samiti Ltd' was also installed there. The organisation also claimed that the attack was carried out with the aim of occupying 10 kathas of land.

After the incident, fear spread among the clinic's officials, employees and locals. A government measles-rubella vaccination programme was scheduled to begin at the clinic from Saturday. However, as the establishment has been damaged and occupied, all healthcare activities, including the measles-rubella campaign, have come to a halt.

Dr Nasrin Akhter demanded exemplary punishment by bringing those involved in the incident to justice quickly. She said the attack was not just an attack on an institution, but also an attack on the right to healthcare of the poor, children and helpless people.

The organisation demanded that the government and concerned administration quickly identify and bring all those involved in the attack to justice, compensate for the damage to the Radda MCH-FP Centre and quickly resume healthcare activities.

Regarding the incident, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Jahangir Alam of the DMP's Shah Ali Police Station said an incident of attack and vandalism occurred at an institution named Radda. Upon receiving the news, he went to the scene on Thursday night and saw curious crowds gathered there. Legal action will be taken if the victims file a complaint with the police station.