Govt to upgrade all upazila health complexes to 151 beds

The government has taken steps to upgrade all upazila health complexes across the country from 50 beds to 151 beds, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said.

“To provide better medical care at people’s doorstep, the government has taken steps to expand the capacity of upazila health complexes.

Every upazila health complex across the country will gradually be upgraded,” he said at the Bhulta Paraon Eidgah ground in Rupganj, Narayanganj, while addressing a free medical camp and fish fry release programme organised to mark the founding anniversary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

We are also focusing on ensuring adequate numbers of doctors and nurses, as well as medicines and essential medical equipment, he added.

In response to a demand raised by local lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman Dipu Bhuiyan, the minister announced that the Rupganj Upazila Health Complex would be upgraded to a 151-bed facility.

Speaking about dengue, Sakhawat Hossain said stagnant water is one of the major breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes and that dengue cannot be tackled without greater public and social awareness.

“Dengue cannot be controlled simply through medicines or insecticide spraying. Individuals, families, local administrations and public representatives all need to work together. Everyone must declare war on dengue.

Destroying Aedes breeding grounds and keeping stagnant water around homes, rooftops, drains, canals and surrounding areas cleared is essential,” he said.

He added that the government is focusing not only on treatment preparedness but also on preventive measures against dengue.

In June, the Health Ministry said dengue patients would receive free treatment at government hospitals, while private hospitals had been instructed to reserve 10 percent of their beds for dengue patients. The government also decided to provide discounts of up to 80 percent on dengue testing costs.

Expressing concern over the measles situation, the health minister said a large number of children in the country had already received measles-rubella vaccines. However, as measles has not yet been brought fully under control, the government has launched another special vaccination drive.

According to recent Health Ministry data, 17,268,908 children have received measles-rubella vaccines under the ongoing special campaign, covering around 96 percent of the targeted population.

He said nearly 40 million vaccine doses had been procured to prevent measles and that the second phase of the special measles-rubella vaccination campaign would begin across the country on September 26.

“Vaccination alone is not enough; ensuring proper nutrition for children is equally important. Malnutrition can increase the risk of complications and death among children infected with measles. Therefore, alongside vaccination, we must focus on child nutrition, care and prompt treatment,” he said.

The programme was chaired by local lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman Dipu Bhuiyan. Other speakers included MP Abul Kalam, Narayanganj District Council Administrator Professor Mamun Mahmud and Narayanganj Development Authority Chairman Mashukul Islam Rajib.

Special guests at the medical camp included Narsingdi-3 MP Manzur Elahi, Narsingdi-5 MP Engineer Ashraf Uddin Bokul, Narayanganj-5 MP Abul Kalam and reserved-seat MP Momtaz Alo of Constituency 328.

Local BNP leaders and activists, physicians and people from various professions also attended the event.