Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said that the Awamil League government has planned to initiate a central oxygen service and blood bank to improve the quality of hospital services at the upazila level of the country.
Simultaneously, 24-hour maternity services will also be introduced in district and upazila hospitals, he added.
The minister made this remarks on Monday in a view exchange program organized by the Canadian Red Cross, a subsidiary organization of the government and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS).
“Cox’s Bazar Medical College has already been established regarding this matter. There was a plan to open the hospital with foreign funding. Due to some unfortunate situations we could not get the funds so the government has decided to run the Cox’s Bazar Medical College Hospital with government funding,” said the health minister.
“As we are accommodating more than 1.2 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar, the medical facilities of the local population are being disrupted. We were forced to provide medical services to the local community and the Rohingya population with a limited number of doctors and manpower. Although international organizations came forward to help in this matter, we know this is inadequate. Therefore, hopefully, the steps we are taking to improve the medical services here will be instrumental to the local community,” he added.
Earlier in the afternoon, the minister visited the Cox's Bazar District Sadar Hospital and talked to the patients admitted into the women and children ward of the emergency section. Later, he inaugurated a second operation theatre in the hospital.
