Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain has said that no form of irregularity or corruption will be tolerated in the health sector, despite the various crises plaguing the system.
“There are various crises in the health sector. Everyone’s cooperation is needed to fix these. But we will not tolerate any corruption. We seek everyone’s cooperation to prevent corruption,” the minister said on Sunday.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the 17th Asia Pharma Expo at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre in Purbachal, Dhaka. The expo was organised by the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries.
Referring to the recent deaths of 33 infants at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital over 11 days, the minister expressed regret that the authorities were unaware of the situation until it was reported in the media.
“In the last 11 days, 33 children have died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. Unfortunately, despite being ministers and secretaries, we did not know about the matter. We came to know through the media. We must move the country forward with our minimal commitment,” he said.
The minister also stressed the need for timely action, saying, “If even after 55 years of independence we keep saying we will do this and that, then who will actually move the country’s flag forward? If the country collapses, if we break down, if we cannot deliver quality medicine to the people, then we cannot move the country forward.”
Speaking as a special guest, Health Secretary Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said the expo is not just an exhibition but a process of advancing the pharmaceutical sector in Bangladesh. He recalled that Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman played a role in advancing the sector, and now entrepreneurs are contributing to its further enrichment.
Abdul Muktadir, president of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries and Chairman & Managing Director of Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd, said Bangladesh currently exports $300 million worth of medicines globally and plays an important role in medicine production. He called for policy-level support to further advance the API industry.
Around 400 companies from 20 countries are participating in the three-day exhibition, which runs from March 29 to March 31, aimed at strengthening the country’s pharmaceutical sector in the global market.
