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The government is bringing 17 new radiotherapy machines to expand and make cancer treatment more accessible across the country, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said on Wednesday.
He made the disclosure at a press briefing held at the meeting room of the Health Ministry at the Secretariat.
Of the 17 machines, six will be installed in Dhaka and 11 outside the capital, the minister said. The move will enable cancer patients to receive treatment at affordable costs closer to home and help reduce pressure on Dhaka-based hospitals.
“The government is focusing on expanding cancer treatment outside Dhaka while increasing the use of modern technology in cancer care,” Sakhawat said.
He added that the government was also taking steps to introduce robotic surgery in the country. Of the 10 robotic surgery machines planned to meet demand, five are expected to be brought in this year, he said.
Health Services Division Secretary Dr ANM Bazlur Rashid, Health Education Division Secretary AKM Benjamin Riazi and Directorate General of Health Services Director General Prof Dr Prabhat Chandra Biswas, among other officials, were present at the briefing.
Regarding the year-round family planning campaign, the minister said the programme would run nationwide from December 1, 2026 to November 30, 2027.
“Alongside field-level awareness campaigns, contraceptives and necessary counselling will be delivered door-to-door,” he said.
On the dengue situation, Sakhawat said treatment and the supply of necessary saline were being ensured in line with World Health Organisation protocols.
“Doctors have been instructed to remain alert considering changes in dengue strains and the possibility of post-dengue cardiac complications,” he said.
He also stressed the need to continue public awareness and cleanliness campaigns to control mosquitoes.