Editorial
Gross mishandling of melamine issue
Designate an authority to address public health crisis
Well over a month since its appearance, the melamine scare refuses to die down. In fact, it's being propelled to a heightening state with each passing day -- thanks to a totally confused handling of the issue and an evasive approach taken to it. Basically, one gets the impression of deliberate waffling in taking a clear-cut decision about the public health hazard, with import and business considerations getting the better of public health concern, especially that of our children.
As a matter of fact, how not to handle a public health crisis has been demonstrated in galling detail by the health ministry, commerce ministry and the BSTI through their playing ping pong and passing the buck oblivious to the panic mounting among the parents critically dependent on imported milk powder. Just look at the long-winded travel of the 36 samples of powder milk collected in the local market since China's scare over melamine contamination hogged news headlines: BSTI, our sole standards and testing institution and a private research body finding one milk formula testing positive, samples were sent to Dhaka University Chemistry Department whose tests revealed eight popular brands being contaminated. The government perfunctorily advised people to refrain from consuming the eight brands 'temporarily'. When pressed for a categorical instruction to the public, the commerce secretary virtually washed his hands of it by stating to the effect that the responsibility is for the consumer to use or not to use the brands.
It is as confusing as it's ironic as to why the health ministry which should have played a key role in this and whose legitimate concern it ought to have been, remained a bystander to the whole series of developments centring around the melamine issue.
As controversy raged over differing test results and the BCSIR and Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission received some samples for testing, serious questions popped up about why the BSTI didn't have the rudimentary laboratory facilities to detect powder milk contamination and with such incapacity how much of hazardous milk must have been consumed in the country so far. Now, of course, samples of eight brands have been just sent to FAO for further testing, with the WHO and the UNICEF informing their readiness to assist us. Why was it not done initially to save time on determination of the milk's safety status? Then there is also the very cogent question as to why only eight of the 50 imported brands are being put through tests at the FAO? Doubts will creep about the reliability of other brands.
Given the experience, we urge the government to immediately have a centralised designated authority to respond to any public health crisis by providing appropriate guidelines, both for the citizens and the agencies concerned, in tackling the issue.
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