Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain has said that door-to-door health screening activities will be introduced in the country.
He made the remarks on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the health sector at the Secretariat.
The minister said the screening programme will initially be launched as a pilot in one union each of 6 to 10 upazilas.
“If successful, it will be expanded nationwide to ensure healthcare services reach the grassroots level” he added.
Sakhawat Husain said medical kit boxes will also be provided for home-based healthcare. The kits will include facilities for blood, urine and diabetes tests, among others.
He further said each hospital will have one female physiotherapist and one male physiotherapist post to strengthen rural healthcare services.
The Health Minister said a decision has been taken to upgrade all 492 upazila health complexes from 50 beds to 101 beds.
He said the Public Works Department has already started work following the Prime Minister’s directive.
Sakhawat Husain also said five 200-bed specialised children’s hospitals will be set up in Khulna, Barishal, Rajshahi, Rangpur divisions and Cumilla. Each hospital will have a specialised ICU.
He added that the projects will be completed within six months and inaugurated by the Prime Minister.
The minister further said five specialised women’s hospitals will be built under a China-Bangladesh joint initiative. He also said the old building of Mitford Hospital in Dhaka will be demolished and reconstructed.
