Health minister takes blame for 1,200 child measles deaths in seven months

Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain has taken personal responsibility for the deaths of children from measles. He said, 'This is my failure. But I have tried. It is not my government's failure.'

The health minister made the remarks at a programme at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute on Monday afternoon. He was the chief guest at the programme organised to mark the inauguration of the institution's newly built four-storey steel building.

Towards the end of the programme, a journalist asked the health minister: 1,200 children have died of measles in seven months. Whose responsibility is this — the interim government's or the current government's? Someone has to take responsibility.

In reply, Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said, 'The responsibility is mine. Hang me. This is my failure. But I have tried. It is not my government's failure.'

Speaking about the measles vaccine, the health minister said some people claim the vaccine was brought from India. That is not true, he said. Only 8 percent of the vaccine was brought from India. The rest came from Germany, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Indonesia. The vaccine was brought in at a low cost.

The health minister added that the vaccine being used in the country has been tested by the World Health Organization. It is supplied by UNICEF. UNICEF, Gavi and the World Health Organization are recognised around the world for supplying vaccines.

He also said that if the vaccine had been bought from some private organisation instead of UNICEF and children had then died of measles, the people of the country would not have let him live.

Complaining that many people have not given their children the measles vaccine, the health minister said almost none of those now falling ill with measles had been vaccinated. A large share of them are under six months old.

He said he had been told that almost none of the measles patients admitted to one hospital had been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has recorded the highest number of measles patients in the world over the past six months. The toll of 1,200 child deaths in seven months has raised fresh questions about the country's vaccination programme.

The programme was chaired by Professor A K M Azizul Haque, chairman of the governing body of the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute.