Lawmaker rails against excessive use of mobile phones in rural areas

During a parliamentary session discussing the 2024-2025 national budget, Ruling Awami League lawmaker and prominent ENT specialist Pran Gopal Datta expressed concerns about the potential health impacts of excessive mobile phone use on the younger generation. Datta suggested exploring options such as using mobile towers in rural areas solely for freelancing or earning foreign currency, or implementing an app to disable them from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am. He highlighted an increasing number of patients, including young children, experiencing ear-related issues and difficulties concentrating on studies. Datta emphasized the high costs in the healthcare sector and advocated for public control of education and healthcare, citing economist Amartya Sen. He also proposed enhancing medical services by raising doctors' salaries, allowances, and improving research and accommodation facilities