JU student Hirok wins Joy Bangla Youth Award
He was given the award for his online platform, Clear Concept
Md Hirok Sheikh, a student at Jahangirnagar University's Pharmacy department, has received the "Joy Bangla Youth Award 2023" for his contributions to health technology.
He received the award in the category of innovation and communication for his online platform, "Clear Concept."
Sajeeb Wazed Joy, chairman of the Centre for Research and Information (CRI) and the prime minister's ICT adviser, presented him with the award at the Sheikh Hasina National Youth Development Centre at Savar on Saturday (18 November).
This year, 12 organisations of young people were awarded in six categories across the country.
Hirok Sheikh's Clear Concept, with more than 250 active members from 35 universities and medical colleges across the country, has been working since 2019 to promote health safety and awareness by using appropriate and safe medicines.
After being awarded the Joy Bangla Youth Award, Hirok Sheikh told The Business Standard that Clear Concept works with medicine.
"We embarked on the Clear Concept journey in 2019. After that, when there was a lot of misconception among people about medicines during the Corona period, the scope of our activity expanded.
"We operate in the fields of counselling and education. If anyone in our group has a question about medicine, we answer it. In the future, we will develop an app for patient counselling."
He said the platform also makes medical content, providing information on the side effects of any drugs, as well as on the issue of antibiotic resistance.
"We work in women's health, prenatal medicine and OTC medicine. A lot of people stop taking their medications because they have a bad feeling about the side effects. We make them aware of it," he said.
Launched in 2015, the Joy Bangla Youth Award recognises and rewards as many as 148 youth-led organisations.