Minister vows action, unveils major healthcare reforms Bangladesh
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain today said no one involved in the deaths of six newborns at Ad-din Hospital would be spared, assuring strict legal action against those responsible.
“The accused often gain legal advantages when cases are filed without post-mortem examinations. But in the case of the deaths of six newborns at Ad-din Hospital, they will not be able to take any such advantage. There will be no leniency in this matter,” he told journalists at his office at the Secretariat here today.
The minister also announced a series of major healthcare initiatives aimed at strengthening child and maternal healthcare services across the country.
He said five specialised 200-bed children's hospitals are being constructed in Khulna, Barishal, Rangpur, Rajshahi divisions and Cumilla, each equipped with an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and are expected to be completed within the next six months.
Sakhawat said the tender process for furniture and medical equipment for the hospitals has already been completed.
“Each hospital will require 1,475 personnel. The Prime Minister has already instructed the Public Administration Minister to ensure full staffing for these facilities,” he added.
Addressing the accommodation crisis faced by students of Dhaka Medical College (DMC), the minister said a new residential building would be constructed on the campus to improve housing facilities for future healthcare professionals.
“The Ministry of Housing and Public Works has already prepared the project proposal, and tenders will be invited within the next few days,” he said.
Expressing concern over the deteriorating condition of several buildings at Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, the minister said two to three structures there are at risk of collapse at any time.
“Some individuals linked to the previous government had sublet parts of these buildings. We have evicted those occupants and declared the structures abandoned. Modern hospital buildings will be constructed in their place,” he said.
The health minister also unveiled an ambitious plan to improve maternal healthcare and women's medical services.
Under a joint Bangladesh-China initiative, primarily financed by China, five modern 1,000-bed specialised hospitals exclusively for women will be established in major cities or adjacent open areas across the country, he added.
He expressed hope that construction work on these hospitals would begin within the current fiscal year.
Sakhawat further said a pilot programme would be launched in six to ten upazilas to provide door-to-door healthcare services for all residents regardless of gender. The programme would be expanded nationwide if found effective.
On dengue and measles prevention, the minister said preparations are being taken to respond swiftly depending on the dengue variant detected.
“We are working to prevent both measles and dengue. Every private hospital will be required to reserve 10 percent of its beds for dengue patients,” he said.
The minister said that corruption and negligence over the past 17 years had severely hindered progress in the country's health sector.
“No meaningful development took place in the health sector due to corruption and neglect during the last 17 years. We are committed to breaking this cycle and building a corruption-free healthcare system as part of a new Bangladesh,” he added.
