Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed the authorities concerned to take necessary measures to further improve healthcare services for marginalized people and ensure easy accessibility.
"Everyone should be able to receive medical treatment very easily at government hospitals without any hassle. People in rural areas should not have to go anywhere else for treatment. Government hospitals must become the sole place of trust," he said.
At the same time, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman issued necessary directives urging doctors to be more sincere and dedicated when providing medical care to patients.
The Prime Minister gave these instructions on Monday afternoon (July 20) during a visit to the Ministry of Health at the Secretariat, where he held a meeting with officials concerned. This marks the first time a Prime Minister has personally visited the Ministry of Health auditorium to conduct a meeting.
Md. Sujauddoula (Sujan Mahmud), Deputy Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, shared this information.
He stated that the Prime Minister issued several directives during the meeting. At the outset, he asked the minister, state minister, secretary, and other attendees to brief him on the achievements in the health sector over the past five months since the current government took office. The officials presented these updates.
They noted that the previous administration had pushed the health sector to the brink of ruin, making it difficult for marginalized people to access proper healthcare. They are working tirelessly to pull the sector out of that state.
Discussions during the meeting highlighted complaints appearing in social media and mainstream media that despite doctors being posted at the upazila level, patients do not receive satisfactory medical care, raising issues of professional negligence. The Prime Minister directed that necessary measures, including disciplinary actions, be taken in this regard.
The Prime Minister said, "By any means, healthcare must be made accessible for rural people. Satisfactory medical treatment and adequate medicine must be ensured for them. Everyone should be able to receive medical treatment very easily at government hospitals without any hassle. Government hospitals must become our sole haven of trust."
Deputy Press Secretary Md. Sujauddoula mentioned that the Prime Minister is deeply committed to the treatment of kidney patients. To alleviate the suffering of kidney patients, he announced plans to establish 50-bed dialysis centers at the district level.
The Prime Minister stated that existing 10-bed dialysis centers at the district level will be expanded to 50 beds. Furthermore, dialysis centers will be established at upazila levels across the country in phases over the next three years.
He also instructed authorities to build necessary skilled manpower and ensure logistical support for these initiatives.
The government has undertaken an initiative to upgrade upazila health complexes from 51 to 101 beds. Detailed discussions were held during the meeting regarding the required manpower and infrastructure development needed for the 101-bed upgrade, according to the Deputy Press Secretary.
During the session, Public Works engineers presented infrastructure blueprints and various intricate details of the plans.
The meeting was attended by Health Minister Sardar Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain, State Minister Professor Dr. M. A. Muhit, senior ministry officials, and top officials including directors of various hospitals in Dhaka such as Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Bangladesh Medical University.
