Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged all the doctors and staff of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and hospital to serve people with dedication.
“I would like to request all the teachers, doctors, officials, nurses and employees of the university that you dedicate yourselves to providing health care services to the people. If so, the university will be able to reach its desired destination,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina was addressing a function after laying the foundation stone of the Super Specialised Hospital of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), reports UNB.
The Prime Minister has also opened the new structures constructed under the Centre of Excellence Project at BSMMU. The structures include a convention centre, doctors’ dormitory, and the diagnostics and oncology building of the university.
Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for a greater focus on medical research at the university and hopes that the Super Specialised Hospital will be a full-fledged research centre.
“You will have to furtherenhance concentration on research, take effective measures so that people can be kept away from diseases. You will have to enhance public awareness on health. We, on the part of our government will keep extending all assistance to you,” she said.
The Prime Minister said she formed a separate fund providing Tk10 crore when the BSMMU was established and will provide Tk10 crore more from the PM’s Relief Fund so that lower-income patients can receive treatment by availing support from the interest received from the fund.
Noting that rich families travel abroad to receive treatment, she said, “I don’t have any objection if rich people go abroad to receive treatment, as the common people, from the lower and middle classes, will get a greater scope to receive treatment here.”
Hasina said the Awami League government established the country’s first medical university, BSMMU, in 1997 facing many challenges.
Assuming power in 2009, her government also set up two more medical universities in Chittagong and Rajshahi and started the process to establish the Sylhet Medical University.
She said her government established five medical colleges at a time and has already given the approval to set up four new medical colleges in Noagaon, Netrakona, Magura, and Nilphamari along with another approval to a medical college in Chandpur.
She said that the government has a plan to set up a medical university in every division of the country if they can assume power the next time.
All public and private medical colleges from Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions will have to be affiliated with the Rajshahi Medical University, while the medical colleges from Chittagong and Sylhet with the respective divisional medical universities.
The medical colleges, except Dhaka Medical College, from all other divisions, including Mymensingh, Khulna, and Barisal, must be affiliated with the BSMMU. Dhaka Medical College will remain affiliated with Dhaka University.
Sheikh Hasina said it is necessary to monitor whether quality doctors pass out from the medical colleges.
She emphasized the construction of a separate dormitory for nurses alongside doctors’ dormitory at the BSMMU. She said that the government will continue to implement plans to turn BSMMU into a centre of excellence.
Focusing on the socio-economic development, she said her government has been able to reach all sorts of services to the doorsteps of the people in the country in the last nine and a half years after assuming power in 2009.
Project Director of the hospital Prof Zulfiqur Rahman Khan made a presentation on the project at the function.
In his presentation, Prof Zulfiqur Rahman said the 13-storey hospital will be the first-ever super-specialized hospital in the country. The 1000-bed hospital will provide centre-based medical services to 5000-8000 patients a day, he added.
The hospital is being constructed on 3.8 acres of land on the northern side of the BSMMU spending Tk1,366 crore. Of the project cost, South Korea will provide Tk1,047 crore as a low-interest loan with a 40-year repayment period.
He said, there will be Centre for Specialised Autism and Maternal and Child Care, Emergency Medical Care Centre, Hepatobiliary and Gastroenterology Centre, Cardio and Cerebrovascular Centre, Kidney Centre, and Respiratory Medicine Centre, General Surgery Centre, Ophthalmology/Dentistry/Dermatology Centre, Physical Medicine/ Rehabilitation Centre.
As per the directives of the Prime Minister, there will be gardens around the hospital, sunken gardens, rooftop gardens, and other environment-friendly facilities which will be run in the digital system.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim, BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Kanak Kanti Barua, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Health and Family Welfare Ministry Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, MP also spoke at the function.
