Play store
The government plans to upgrade healthcare services by equipping hospitals across the country with state-of-the-art medical equipment, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain Bakul.
The minister made the remarks on Thursday while addressing a ceremony at the Department of Pathology of Dhaka Medical College, where modern microscopes and laboratory equipment were handed over to the institution.
He said the government has already begun work on modernising the medical education curriculum to bring it in line with international standards.
“There are proposals to reform the medical curriculum, and work has already started. The curriculum will be updated to match global standards and better prepare future healthcare professionals,” the minister said.
Sakhawat Hossain Bakul noted that Dhaka Medical College had fallen behind global advances in healthcare over the past 17 years, particularly in its pathology department, which he described as the foundation of medical diagnosis.
He said the department had not received a replacement after its only government-provided microscope became unusable three years ago.
According to the minister, the newly installed latest-generation microscope will enable doctors to make accurate cancer diagnoses in a single sitting, significantly improving diagnostic efficiency and patient care.
He also announced that the government would soon invite tenders to address irregularities in the supply of diagnostic equipment and consumables to hospitals.
Responding to a question on whether the Super Specialised Hospital of Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) would operate like a private hospital, the minister said the facility would remain fully government-owned but would be managed under a modern corporate-style administrative structure.
He said the hospital would operate as a non-profit institution under a company-based management model and would be developed following internationally recognised healthcare models, such as Thailand’s Bumrungrad Hospital and Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital.
The hospital will offer one-stop emergency services and advanced treatment facilities while maintaining affordable service charges fixed by the government, he said, adding that both local and international specialists may be engaged if necessary.
Expressing optimism, the minister said the hospital is expected to become fully operational within the next six months.
On the country’s dengue situation, Sakhawat Hossain Bakul said the government has been conducting nationwide cleanliness drives for the past two months at district and upazila levels to curb the spread of Aedes mosquitoes.
He said doctors have received specialised training and health authorities have been instructed to ensure the highest standard of treatment for dengue patients.
The minister also announced plans to introduce a special larvicide tablet that can be applied to stagnant water, discarded coconut shells, used tyres and other mosquito breeding sites to destroy Aedes larvae more effectively.
He added that a standard dengue treatment protocol prepared by specialist physicians is being distributed to doctors through mobile platforms and official websites. Hospitals have also been instructed not to discharge dengue patients simply because their fever has subsided, unless doctors are fully satisfied with their recovery.
Health Secretary Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Prof Dr Prabhat Chandra Biswas, Director General of the Directorate General of Medical Education Prof Dr Nazmul Hossain, Dhaka Medical College Principal Prof Dr Md Mazharul Shaheen, Vice-Principal Prof Dr Mosarrat Sultana and other senior officials attended the event.