RAJBARI, June 18: Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain has said the government plans to gradually introduce dialysis services for kidney patients at hospitals in every district and upazila to make treatment more accessible for people living in remote areas.
The minister made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon while visiting Rajbari District Hospital on his way back to Dhaka from Kushtia.
"We want to ensure healthcare services reach people's doorsteps," he said.
The minister said the budget allocated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for the health sector would help expand dialysis facilities across the country.
"We hope to establish dialysis services at every district and upazila hospital so that people in remote areas can receive treatment at an affordable cost," he said, adding that preparations have already been completed at 10 hospitals to launch the service.
Expressing concern over the shortage of specialist physicians, Sakhawat said no significant number of specialist doctors had been appointed over the past 17 years.
"The backlog cannot be cleared in a single day," he said.
The minister said 14 doctors had recently been appointed to Rajbari District Hospital, including two specialist consultants. Of them, seven have already joined, while the remaining doctors are expected to take up their posts soon.
"If they fail to join, necessary action will be taken," he said.
He said the government would continue making every effort to ensure quality healthcare services for the public.
Among those present during the visit were Deputy Commissioner (DC) Afroza Parvin, Superintendent of Police Mohammad Manjur Morshed, Additional DC Tarif Ul Hasan, Civil Surgeon Dr SM Masud, and Rajbari District Hospital Superintendent Dr Md Abdul Hannan.
