Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen said on Sunday once again directed his attention addressing longstanding issues that need work to be sorted out in the country's hospitals.
"Every place in the hospitals, even the residence of the doctors in the hospital, is dilapidated. So, we have to work there," the health minister said at one point, while speaking at a dialogue with the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at the Secretariat.
In reply to a question, the health minister said he has come to know how patients are sent to private clinics from government hospitals.
"I will not accept this anymore," he warned. No effort will be spared in taking care of patients to the best of their ability by government hospitals.
Samanta Lal also informed that he has already told the Health Engineering Department to make each upazila self-supporting by providing all necessary equipment including hospital buildings, accommodation for doctors, and OTs.
“So that I can put some pressure on the doctors to be resident at the Upazila hospital. Otherwise, if I ask them to go, they show excuses for so many things including lack of accommodation.”
Fasih Uddin Mahtab, president of BSRF, presided over the programme while its general secretary Masudul Hoque conducted it.
6,000 more doctors to be recruited to fill vacant posts
The Health Minister also said that some 6,000 more doctors will be recruited to fill the vacant posts in the healthcare sector.
“An initiative has been taken to recruit 6,000 new doctors (MBBS and Dental) to fill the vacant posts of doctors in all health services institutions across the country,” he said.
The health minister said this in his statement in response to a notice given by MPs under the Rule 71A of the Rules of Procedure in the House.
The notice was given by Awami League MPs Sultana Nadira (Barguna-2) and Parveen Zaman (Women Seat-09) and independent MP Sanuwar Hossan Sanu (Sherpur-1) who wanted to know about the manpower recruitment in the health complexes in their respective constituencies.
Samanta Lal Sen said a proposal has already been sent to the Health Services Division from the Directorate General of Health Services to recruit 2,000 doctors in the first phase.
