All divisional medical college hospitals in the eight districts of Bangladesh would be upgraded to have 1,000 beds soon, Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said.
“But after visiting Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, I understood that even increasing to 1,000-bed will not be sufficient here. So, it will be upgraded to a 1,500-bed hospital,” he said while visiting SBMCH on Thursday.
The health minister visited the general wards and medicine department of SBMCH and talked to the patients and their families. Later he held a discussion with the hospital authorities in the auditorium.
The health minister had also expressed dissatisfaction after seeing patients being treated on the hospital floor, and asked doctors and staff to resign from service if they cannot serve their duty properly.
"Healthcare is being affected by infrastructural reasons. However, the government wants to provide better treatment to the people of Bangladesh,” he said.
“Every patient of this country will take medical treatment on a hospital bed - this is what we want; this is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's promise, direction, and hope,” the health minister added.
"The floors and walls of the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital are old. The infrastructure is dilapidated as it is 55-60 years old. Infrastructure development is needed,” Maleque added.
He later criticized the general management of SBMCH, including the cleanliness of the hospital.
“Hospital campus should be filled with flowers so that people get a good impression. There is a lack of cleanliness around here. I have seen patients lying on the floor in the cold,” said Zahid Maleque.
Later, the health minister directed the Barisal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah to supervise SBMCH and run the MRI and other hospital equipment.
In this regard, SBMCH Director Dr HM Saiful Islam said that the main shelter for millions of patient from the southern region of Bangladesh is SBMCH. “Every day about 4,000 people come to the hospital to be treated,” he added.
The minister after visiting construction works of the specialized hospitals including cancer, and kidney, said that the work is going slowly. “I would like to inform the contractors that work should be completed as soon as possible; otherwise, there will be a penalty.”
Regarding the problem of students' hostels, the health minister said a development project proposal has been issued for the construction of one male and one female hostel for medical students in all eight divisions.
The health minister also said that the government has started the construction of hospitals for cancer, heart, and non-infectious diseases in all eight divisions of the country.
While visiting the under-construction cancer hospital in Barisal, the health minister said: “There will be eight such hospitals in all eight divisions, hence there will be about 4,000 beds for the patients.”
Cancer patients can get treatment here without even going to Dhaka, added the minister.