State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said, it was the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was to take healthcare at the village level.
The state minster made the comment on Wednesday while virtually inaugurating a project to continue Oxygen Cylinder Bank, High Flow Nasal Canola and 20-bed ICU facilities in all the upazilas of the district to ensure regular supply of oxygen during and after corona pandemic.
The inauguration of the project taken at the initiative of Khulna District Administration was held at the Khulna Deputy Commissioner's Conference Room on Wednesday noon.
The State Minster said the initiative taken by Khulna district administration to ensure regular supply of oxygen to patients at the upazila level has set a unique precedent.
About 18,000 community clinics are working towards this goal. As a result of the development of health services, the average life expectancy of the people of the country has increased. In the Corona situation, the steps taken by the government in all the districts and upazilas of the country have yielded positive results. He added that the initiative to ensure healthcare in remote and isolated upazilas is a milestone that will set an example for others, he added.
It may be mentioned that at the district and upazila level, as per the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to ensure modern healthcare at the district and upazila level, Khulna District Administration initiated and implemented a plan to set up a 20-bed ICU bed facility with oxygen cylinder bank and 4 high flow nasal cannula for the first time in Bangladesh.
The project, funded by the Upazila Administration at its own expense, with the help of local resource funds of the district and JICA through open tender, has been supported by the Khulna Civil Surgeon's Office, Khulna Medical College Hospital Director, Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialized Hospital Director Upazila health complexes.
If this project is fully implemented, the patients at the upazila level of the district will be able to be provided uninterrupted oxygen through high flow nasal cannula and automatic oxygen cylinder bank. Oxygen can be supplied to children with pneumonia, bronchiolitis, nasopharyngitis, various lung infections and heart diseases in adults such as heart failure, heart attack, stroke, metabolic acidosis, road accident respiratory distress and other diseases.
Syed Mojibul Haque, Additional Secretary, Department of Health Services, Prof. Dr. Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Director General, Department of Health, Md. Ismail Hossain, Divisional Commissioner, Khulna and Dr. Rasheda Sultana, Director, Khulna Divisional Health virtually attended the inauguration ceremony as special guests.
Special guests in the conference room of Khulna Deputy Commissioner were Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mahbub Hasan and Civil Surgeon Dr Niaz Mohammad. Khulna Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Helal Hossain presided over the function.
Deputy Director of Local Government of Khulna District Md. Iqbal Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Overall) Md. Yusuf Ali, Additional District Administrator (Education and ICT) Md. Sadiqur Rahman Khan, President of Khulna Press Club SM Zahid Hossain and others were present on the occasion.
