Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday said the government is taking initiative to set up hospitals exclusively for mothers and children in every district of Bangladesh soon.
"We are mulling setting up mother and child hospitals in each district aiming to provide healthcare support for pregnant mothers," he told a discussion here marking the 103rd birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The discussion was held at the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine, an official release said.
Line Director of the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine Abdul Mannan and Director of the Institute of Public Health (IPH) Dr Nasir Uddin, among others, addressed the discussion with Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Professor Abul Bashar Mohammed Khurshid Alam in the chair.
Maleque said the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made remarkable progress in the health sector in the past 14 years.
"Community clinic is a milestone initiative of the present government... The government, so far, has set up 14,000 community clinics, which are now providing 32 types of healthcare services and medicines to the people in rural areas," he added.
District and upazila level hospitals have been equipped with modern healthcare facilities to ensure better healthcare services to the rural people, the minister continued.
"Alongside ensuring better healthcare services, we have set up five medical universities, 37 medical colleges and 22 health institutes in the country for furthering improving the overall healthcare system," he said.
