Staff members of 35 government-run centres of Shishu Bikash Kendra demanded salary arrears and regularisation of the care service for children with special needs across the country.
Sharing their plight of economic hardship at a press conference held at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Tuesday, they warned that their crucial services would be disrupted or might be stopped forever, if the health directorate neglected their demands.
Services for special needs children with neurodevelopmental conditions at the Shishu Bikash Kendra had been facing serious disruption since its fourth phase ended in June 2024, they said.
According to a 抖阴精品 report, 35 development centres of Shishu Bikash Kendra were established in 2008 under the 鈥楨stablishment of Shishu Bikash Kendra at Secondary and Tertiary Level Hospitals鈥� project.
The project was an initiative included in the Hospital Service Management operation plan of the Health Services Division.
At least 140 staff members including instructors, pediatrics, child psychologists, development therapists currently are working at the child development centres.聽
Presenting keynotes, child psychologist Fayaza Ahmed, also a senior instructor of the project, said that more than 2,50,000 special needs children ranging from infants to 16-year-olds, received services from the Shishu Bikash Kendra centres across the country.
鈥楧espite being deprived of salaries for eight months, we have not stopped our services for the sake of the children. We don鈥檛 know how long we could continue this,鈥� she said, adding that staff members of the centres are suffering from frustration over their insolvency and uncertainty.聽
At a low cost, Shishu Bikah Kedra provides high quality diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitation-related training services to the children suffering from neurodevelopmental conditions.
Fayaza noted that children mostly from underprivileged families received services from the Shishu Bikash Kendra centres.
鈥榃e have to report everyday activities to the health directorate which has not yet closed the project. Then, there is no reason why we should not be paid our salary arrears,鈥� she said.聽
Renowned clinical psychologist professor Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman demanded that the health adviser and the high officials at the health directorate address the issue immediately.
Several Shishu Bikash Kendra staff members including Eshrat Jahan, Shukla Karmaker, Abdullah Al Mamun, Habibur Rahman Shajib also shared their plight of embracing inhuman life because of their job uncertainty.
A 抖阴精品 report published on November 6, 2024, said that the Directorate General of Health Services was yet to get any decision from the ministry in the fifth phase of the project.
