DHAKA  – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the nation must not allow recurrence of the “politics of arson” as she opened a major health facility to treat burn injured patients here, recalling the spate of arson attacks in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

“We want peaceful atmosphere for our development. Despite many obstacles Bangladesh is going ahead,” she said while opening the 500-bed facility in the Chankhar Pool area.

The premier urged the people to stay alert to check recurrence of the politics of arson attack and simultaneously warned of quick and stern actions against perpetrators of such “heinous activities”

“The government will do whatever is required against such acts,” she told the function to mark the inauguration of Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.

The health ministry named the institute after her, acknowledging the premier’s efforts to develop the state of art facility, assumed to be the world’s largest burn care hospital having 50 intensive care units and 12 operation theatres alongside 500 beds.

The prime minister expressed her hope that with most modern equipment and technology, the institute would emerge as a centre of excellence for treatment, research and studies.

Doctors and officials familiar with the setting up of the facility said the institute would provide advanced treatment to burn patients while its physicians and nurses would also get trainings to enhance their professional skills.

The present government in 2016 took a Taka 522 crore project to develop the facility against the backdrop of a series of firebomb and grenade attacks across the country as part of a violent anti-government street campaign.

Transport passengers, drivers and helpers, pedestrians appeared to be the prime target of the clandestine attacks that killed some 400 people and burnt about 4,000 people while about 3,800 vehicles and several railway carriages were set on fire during that “opposition blockade”.

The premier recalled that apart from causing the casualties, the campaign destroyed most of the newly procured double-decker buses of the state-run BRTC fleet as well as trains.

“The movement of Khaleda Zia in 2013, 2014 and 2015 was meant for burning people alive,” the prime minister said.

Health Minister Muhammad Nasim presided over the function while mayor of South Dhaka Sayeed Khokan, state minister for health Jahid Malek, army chief General Aziz Ahmed and Engineering-in-Chief of Bangladesh Army Major General Siddiqur Rahman Sarkar spoke on the occasion.

Prominent burn wound specialist Dr Samanta Lal Sen, who previously ran the Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s burn unit, has been appointed as the institute’s national coordinator while he also spoke at the function.

Sheikh Hasina said her government at the time of the protracted arson attacks put in its all-out efforts to help the victims particularly referring to the role of doctors and nurses of DMCH burn unit in treating the helpless people.

The premier noted that many of the injured persons still required the treatment for their wounds and wondered what politics the perpetrators pursed by killing people while “we do politics for the welfare of the people”.

“People of Bangladesh have resisted them and we have curbed the militant and terrorist acts with the united efforts of the law enforcement and intelligence agencies . . . I don’t want to see the recurrence of those arson attacks,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her government had opened the burn and trauma unit in the DMCH in 2000. But the subsequent BNP-Jamaat administration did nothing for making it operational.

After coming to power in 2009 for the second time, the prime minister said, the unit was made functional by appointing necessary manpower and procuring modern equipment.

Sheikh Hasina thanked Bangladesh Army for constructing the burn and plastic surgery institute at a quick pace. Bangladesh Army always provides services to the people with the utmost dedication, she said.

The prime minister said she has a plan to procure modern equipment for the burn unit so that no patient with burn injury needs to go abroad. Nurses will also be given necessary training at home and abroad on this specialized medicare services, she said.

“However, we will be able to do this quickly, if the people elect us again to the office, otherwise it may come to a stop,” she said, urging all to look into the matter.

Sheikh Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman constructed the hospital for treatment of the injured freedom fighters along with a burn unit soon after independence.

In the constitution, Bangabandhu incorporated the healthcare as one of the basic rights of the people. Bangabandhu started constructing a 10-bed hospital in every union. But he could not complete his task as he was brutally killed.

Sheikh Hasina said her government after taking office in 1996 had taken initiatives to reach the healthcare services to the doorsteps of the people. Community clinics were set up in the villages. But, the BNP-Jamaat alliance government had stopped the operations of the clinics.

The prime minister said her government has increased the number of beds in all public hospitals, established first medical university in the country and constructed the second unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Considering the lower number of doctors and nurses compared to the number of patients, the prime minister said her government has already recruited doctors and nurses.

Dhaka City has been divided in four zones and steps are being taken to reach healthcare serves to all zones, she added.

Sheikh Hasina said in the last 10 years, extensive development works have been carried-out in this sector to reach healthcare services to the doorsteps of the commoners. System has been introduced to refer patients to the hospital for ensuring better treatment.

The prime minister said her government has established 19 new government medical colleges in the last 10 years. Two new medical universities are being set up in Rajshahi and Chittagong, she added.

Sheikh Hasina said the number of beds in the National Institute of Traumatology and Rehabilitation (NITOR) has been increased to one thousand. This hospital is now the largest orthopedic hospital in Asia, which is waiting for inaugurated soon.

Pointing out the steps taken for digitalization of the healthcare services, the prime minister said toll-free hot line number 16263 has been introduced with launching tele-medicine services in different hospitals.