Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain made a surprise visit to Tala Upazila Health Complex in Satkhira on Sunday, inspecting hospital facilities and pledging to upgrade the facility to a 100-bed hospital.
Arriving at around 10:30 am, the minister began his inspection in the hospital kitchen, where he sampled food prepared for patients to assess its quality. He later toured the male and female wards, medicine store, operating theatre (OT), administrative offices, washrooms, and staff attendance registers.
During the visit, he met patients to hear their views on medical treatment, medicine availability, and the overall quality of healthcare services. He also inspected the hospital premises and discussed service challenges and future development plans with local residents and officials.
The minister instructed hospital authorities to improve healthcare services and ordered action against those responsible for the theft of air-conditioning units from the hospital. He also directed officials to expedite ongoing renovation work, including improvements to washroom facilities and called for administrative action against a medical officer who has reportedly remained absent from duty for an extended period.
Speaking to reporters after the visit, Hossain said the government is continuing to recruit doctors through a special Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) process to address staffing shortages. He added that the recruitment process for 100,000 healthcare workers has also begun.
The minister announced that work to upgrade Tala Upazila Health Complex to a 100-bed facility will begin soon, with soil testing expected in the coming weeks.
He said the project includes constructing a modern seven-to- eight-storey building equipped with separate paralysis rehabilitation centers for men and women, a physiotherapy center, a breastfeeding corner, and a trauma center to strengthen healthcare services for the region.
