Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain on Wednesday ordered departmental action against five doctors who had been absent from their workplaces for a prolonged period at Muradnagar Upazila Health Complex in Cumilla.
During a surprise inspection, he also directed authorities to bring back seven other doctors who had been attached to healthcare facilities elsewhere.
The minister visited the hospital around 8:30am and reviewed doctors’ attendance, the quality of patient care and the overall hospital environment.
He also spoke to patients and provided financial assistance from his own funds to two people in need.
According to hospital sources, 12 of the facility’s 51 doctors were found absent during the inspection. Of them, seven were working on attachment elsewhere, while five had been absent from their designated workplace for a prolonged period.
The minister subsequently ordered departmental action against the five doctors and directed that the seven others be returned to their original workplace.
During the visit, the minister announced plans to upgrade Muradnagar Upazila Health Complex to a 151-bed hospital.
Under the proposed expansion, the hospital will receive 10 dialysis machines, a 20-bed maternity ward, 20 beds for newborns, separate physiotherapy services for men and women and a breastfeeding centre.
The minister said the tender process for the project was expected to be completed within the next 15 to 16 days.
He also assured that doctors would be posted to Muradnagar hospital from among the 448 doctors scheduled to join the health service on 1 November.
Although the minister observed improvements in the hospital’s overall management compared with previous conditions, he expressed dissatisfaction with its waste disposal and sanitation arrangements.
Describing the unhygienic environment inside the hospital as a concern for healthcare delivery, he emphasised that maintaining cleanliness was as important as ensuring proper treatment for patients.
Hospital officials said a shortage of suitable land in the upazila had created difficulties in disposing of medical waste.
The minister said discussions would be held with officials of the Health Engineering Department to explore whether appropriate waste management facilities could be established within the hospital premises.
He also instructed the upazila health and family planning officer to initiate the condemnation process for the hospital’s unserviceable vehicles.
Regarding the shortage of ambulances, the minister said arrangements were being planned to provide ambulance services within the next financial year.
Speaking to journalists, the health minister said healthcare services at the upazila level had not achieved the desired development for many years.
He said the government had taken initiatives to modernise upazila health complexes and make them more accessible and patient-friendly.
The minister said the quality of healthcare at Muradnagar hospital appeared to have improved compared with previous conditions, although he had identified some irregularities during the inspection.
He said doctors had been cautioned over those irregularities.
The minister also assured that healthcare services for Muradnagar residents would be made more accessible and effective by ensuring doctors’ attendance, posting additional medical staff, expanding modern treatment facilities and improving waste management.
