Steps are underway to provide free insulin to diabetic patients in government hospitals in the future, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said on Thursday.
The minister said, "Diabetes patients are already being provided free medical treatment at government hospitals."
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The minister was addressing a roundtable discussion on "Diabetes Treatment: Present and Future Thoughts" organized by the Non-Communicable Disease Control Program (NCDC) of the Health Department and Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (BADAS) on the occasion of World Diabetes Day.
He said, "At least 61 per cent of the people in the country suffer from different health problems due to non-communicable diseases. Diabetes is one of the non-communicable diseases that affect the human body silently.”
Referring to a survey, he also said that only 12 percent of the people in the country now have diabetes
Meanwhile, about covid vaccine procurement, the minister said so far 21 crore doses of vaccine have been purchased. Of this, about 11 crore doses have arrived in the country. About four crore more doses will arrive by November.
Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (BADAS) president Prof AK Azad Khan, Vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Prof Sharfuddin Ahmed, Secretary General of Bangladesh Diabetes Association Sayef Uddin and former Director General of the Health Department Prof Fayez Uddin were present at the meeting.
