Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday said that all public hospitals across the country would be brought under central supervision aiming to provide better healthcare services to the people.
"As part of the central supervision activities, efforts are underway to digitize public hospitals. Central monitoring over public hospitals will ensure better treatment facilities at a lower cost," he said while addressing a function of "Shashthomantri Jatiya Purushkar 2020” at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka, an official release said.
The health minister said: "All public hospitals are now equipped with modern medical equipment. Despite the availability of modern medical facilities, people are interested to perform their tests at private hospitals.
"These modern facilities have not been used properly due to lack of willingness of the healthcare professionals."
He also said that Bangladesh was successful in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the minister, the government has so far administered nearly 130 million first doses and 110 million second doses. “It means 96% of people have received both doses of the Covid jabs."
Bangladesh currently has 50 million doses of the vaccines in stock. "An additional 60 million vaccines are in the pipeline."
He added that the second round of the mass vaccination drive, without any registration, had been extended by three more days till April 3.
President of Community Clinic Health Support Trustee Board Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali, Senior Secretary of the Health Services Division Lokman Hossain Mian, Secretary of Health Education Division Saiful Islam Badal and President of Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (SWACHIP) M Iqbal Arslan, among others, addressed the function with Director General of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam in the chair.