Bangladesh Guide on Principles of Emergency Health Care for advanced and periphery level service providers were finalized through a consultative meeting held in the conference room of IEDCR,  at Mohakhali, in Dhaka. Describing the handbook as a unique effort, the Director General of Health Services, Prof. M A Faiz said, we should encourage all  to create a common understanding on emergency health care methods and its multiple benefits.  He was speaking as the Chief Guest of the inaugural session of the two-day consultative meeting held on 9th and 10^th November. On this event,  World Health Representative to Bangladesh,  Dr Duangvadee Sungkhobol,  was the Special Guest. The meeting was attended by different experts from national and peripheral levels with Dr. ARM Sadullah, Program Manager, BAN EHA and Assistant Director (Disaster),  of DGHS,  in the Chair.

Prof.  M A Faiz said that “Bangladesh is a disaster-prone area and provision of emergency health care at different levels is a must. Especially, the community people should know of the emergency health care methods and they all must know how to respond during accidents or an episode of a natural disaster”.

Mentioning about the knowledge gap at different levels, the WHO Representative to Bangladesh,  Dr Duangvadee Sungkhobol,  said that the basic information regarding the emergency health care should be provided to the health care providers at the field levels as well as the community,  and this effort should save a lot of lives. She reiterated WHO’s support and cooperation in this regard. At the conclusion of the  two-day consultative meeting, two separate guidelines were finalized for use by advanced and community-level providers.    

In this connection, it needs to be pointed out that following the Super Cyclone “ Sidr”, the country office of  WHO Bangladesh carried out comprehensive health sector needs assessment in the affected area,  and after analyzing the assessment report,  it was agreed that life saving emergency medical supplies should be provided, in addition to the establishment of an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system and a pre-hospital trauma management system, at  the hospitals and in communities. After the two days consultative meeting on the above mentioned emergency health care system two separate guidelines were finalized for advanced and community level providers.