Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday directed the authorities to strengthen healthcare services for marginalised communities and ensure easier access to quality treatment at government hospitals across the country.
He also instructed health officials to ensure greater accountability among doctors, warning that negligence in providing patient care should be addressed through appropriate disciplinary measures.
The directives came during a meeting at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the Secretariat, marking the first time a prime minister has chaired a meeting at the ministry’s auditorium.
At the beginning of the meeting, the prime minister sought a briefing from the health minister, state minister, secretary and senior officials on the progress made in the health sector during the five months since the current government assumed office.
Officials told the meeting that the health sector had been left in a fragile state by previous administrations, making quality healthcare difficult to access, particularly for people in rural and underserved areas. They said the government had been working to improve the situation.
Referring to reports in the media and on social media that patients at upazila-level health facilities often fail to receive satisfactory treatment despite the presence of doctors, Tarique directed the authorities to investigate such allegations and take action where negligence is found.
He emphasised that people in rural areas must have access to quality medical care and an adequate supply of medicines at government hospitals.
“Government hospitals should provide treatment without unnecessary suffering or harassment. People should not have to seek healthcare elsewhere when public hospitals are available,” he said.
The prime minister also announced plans to expand dialysis services for kidney patients.
He said existing 10-bed dialysis centres at district level would be upgraded to 50-bed facilities, while dialysis centres would be established in all upazilas across the country in phases over the next three years.
He directed the ministry to ensure the recruitment and training of skilled personnel alongside the necessary logistical support to operate the expanded facilities.
The meeting also reviewed the government’s initiative to upgrade upazila health complexes from 51 beds to 101 beds.
Engineers from the Public Works Department presented infrastructure designs and implementation plans for the expansion project.
The meeting was attended by the health minister, state minister, senior officials of the ministry, and directors and senior representatives from Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh Medical University and several other major hospitals in the capital.
