A networking meeting was held on Saturday (30th September) in the hall of the Bandar Press Club of Narayanganj district under Compassionate Narayanganj project implemented by Ayat Education and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University with journalists of Bandar regarding palliative care of incurable patients.
Md Kabir Hossain, advisor of Bandar Press Club presided over the meeting conducted by Sumit Banik, Project Coordinator of Ayat Education. Bandar Press Club Vice President Md. Mehebub Hossain, Joint General Secretary GM Sumon, Executive Member Imran Mridha, Former Joint General Secretary Hazi Nasir Uddin, Office Secretary Mehedi Hasan Ripon, Organizing Secretary Amir Hossain, Daily New Nation representative & press club member Mahfuzul Alam Zahid, Daily Neer Bangla Bandar representative Md. Billal Hossain, Nayranganj’s Alo Bandar representative Shahidul Islam Sipu and many others were present.
Sumit Banik said in his presentation, the main objective of this three-year pilot project is to integrate palliative care in primary health care. Palliative care is the knowledge of medical care aimed at making the terminal period of life of patients suffering from incurable, life-limiting diseases free of suffering, pain-free and safe. Doing these means putting an end to a beautiful life by overriding a person’s wishes at the last moment. When patients with incurable and life-limiting diseases cannot be fully cured by treatment, palliative care emphasizes the importance of respecting and caring for the patient until death, giving dignity to the patient at the end of his life according to his wishes. It also works to improve the quality of life by reducing the physical, mental and spiritual suffering of the affected person and his family.
Md. Kabir Hossain, Bandar Press Club’s advisor and president of the networking meeting, said in his speech, “We Bandar Press Club are very sincere for any publicity and promotion about palliative care. We hope that organizing an awareness meeting with people from all levels including local public representatives, civil society, pharmacists on a large scale for more publicity about this project, it will be more fruitful. As a result, the underprivileged people will know about this service and will get an opportunity to come under the service.
Sumit Banik also said that the media and its journalist play an important role in creating public awareness on any issue. However, the participation and involvement of journalists is much more important in raising awareness about this palliative care. Because many people do not even know that outdoor services are provided 3 days a week in 129 rooms of Bandar Upazila Health Complex. Therefore, there is no alternative to the cooperation of journalists in the successful implementation of the project.
After presenting the speech, the local journalists presented their opinions in the question-answer session. Community Mobilizer Ananya Rahman and Fahim Hossain were also present in the meeting on behalf of Ayat Education.
