DGHS Official Facing Backlash Over FB Post Demanding Journalists Clean Hospital Toilets

Dr. Syed Abu Ahman Shafi, Deputy Director (Hospital Wing) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), sparked fierce criticism after posting a controversial status on his personal Facebook account on Wednesday (June 24).

In the post, the government official asserted that through inter-ministerial talks, the Ministry of Information and under-regulated journalists should be handed the responsibility of cleaning building interiors and toilets across 600 district and upazila hospitals for at least one fiscal year. Following immediate calls of protest from media professionals, he deleted the status, later adding a clarification that he pulled the post down because his known journalists felt hurt.

When contacted over the phone from the press, the official justified his views by arguing that the health sector is unfairly blamed for structural constraints and journalists fail to report the complete context.

​Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Health Reporters Forum (BHRF) has expressed deep resentment and strongly condemned the derogatory remarks. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, BHRF President Pratik Ejaz and General Secretary Mujahid Shuvo stated that such remarks are totally inconsistent with standard administrative decorum.

They added that the official made these satirical comments out of sheer frustration because the media consistently highlights deep-rooted corruption and mismanagement within the healthcare sector. The platform leaders noted that this unprofessional rhetoric not only defames the journalism community but also directly attempts to undermine the independent role of the free press.
​//DBTech/AD/MI//