In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, as people stay home and practice social distancing, what is more important than ever before is having access to reliable news, and for the general population to understand the situation in the country.
To that end, it is extremely disappointing to hear that, as per the directorate general of nursing and midwifery, employees and health practitioners at government hospitals treating potential Covid-19 patients have been barred from speaking to the media without prior permission.
While the reasoning for this decision has been attributed to the safety of the health workers on the account of the limited PPE available, barring all health workers outright from speaking to the media is not the way.
Make no mistake about it: This decision is wrong. There is no justification for stopping people from talking to the press, much less health workers during these times.
Additionally, the question must be asked: Why should health workers not be allowed to speak to the media? Do the people of Bangladesh not deserve to know the full extent of the situation in the country?
Bangladeshis have their rights as citizens and one of them is to be able to speak freely. Furthermore, given the sufferings of citizens during this pandemic, the people absolutely deserve to get all the information they can.
With misinformation, unfortunately, proving to be a significant issue during the pandemic, the government should instead work with the media, so that they can gather the news from the most reliable sources.
Health workers, therefore, are a major component of getting reliable news to publish for the media. Depriving the people of Bangladesh of their points of view and experiences cannot be condoned.
