Easy to Say “Not Worried,” Harder to Discharge Responsibility: Health Minister’s Relaxed Tone Amid Measles and Dengue

Claims are made, facts are missing: with several diseases straining the system, the public wants accountability from the minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain has said the government is not worried, even while acknowledging that measles, dengue and several other diseases have to be tackled at once. Questions have arisen over how much comfort such a relaxed tone from the guardian of public health provides at a time like this.
The Claim
On Thursday, at the inaugural ceremony of the national oral cholera vaccination programme at the Dhaka South City Corporation auditorium, the minister said maximum efforts were underway to deal with the situation. The government’s confidence was evident in his words.
The Reality
But confidence and preparedness are not the same thing. On what measures are being taken against which disease, how far those efforts have progressed, and how people will see the results, the minister’s remarks were silent. He did stress the importance of the cholera vaccine, but having himself raised measles and dengue, he did not spell out the plan for handling several diseases together.
What the Public Wants
When the pressure from many diseases rises at once, people do not want to hear assurances; they want to see preparedness. They want regular and clear information on the health department’s preparedness, the capacity of medical services and the progress of the vaccination programme.
Final Word
Until the phrase “maximum effort” is linked to a description of real steps, progress data and results, it cannot reduce ordinary people’s anxiety. In a public health crisis, proof of effective preparedness matters more than confident statements. A government may claim the right not to be worried, but it has no exemption from the duty of accountability.