Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain has directed all private clinics and hospitals across Bangladesh to establish normal delivery or labour rooms by next Saturday, recreating the golden days of normal delivery.
He warned that the licenses of institutions failing to comply within the stipulated deadline would be revoked.
Speaking as the chief guest at a programme organized by the Bangladesh Midwifery Society (BMS) in the capital on Monday, the minister expressed concern over what he described as an excessive profit-driven approach in healthcare. He said the growing tendency to prioritize financial gain over patient welfare has contributed to a rise in unnecessary caesarean sections.
He noted that the majority of children in Bangladesh were once born through normal deliveries. However, he said that after routine prenatal check-ups, broker net works and some healthcare facilities often frighten families with exaggerated claims of pregnancy complications, pressuring them into opting for caesarean deliveries.
“Families are often made to believe that the mother or the baby will not survive without surgery,’’ he said, adding that people generally trust doctors' advice. He stressed the need for stricter enforcement of ethics in the medical profession.
Highlighting the importance of maternal health and child nutrition, Sakhawat Hossain said that malnutrition, early marriage and poor maternal health are increasing health risks for newborns. He emphasized the need to ensure proper nutrition from the very beginning of a child's life.
The minister also said skilled midwifery services must be ensured in every part of the country. The government plans to recruit 100,000 new healthcare workers this year, around 80,000 of whom will be women. A significant proportion of them will serve as midwives to expand maternal healthcare services in remote areas.
He further announced that, in addition to making labour rooms mandatory in all private clinics, the government is also moving to require the recruitment of midwives. The initiative is expected to help pregnant women receive necessary advice at the local level and encourage normal deliveries.
The workshop was told that a midwife must complete 40 normal deliveries to obtain professional registration. Although around 5,800 skilled midwives graduate every year, most leave the profession due to a lack of employment opportunities.
Only about 500 midwives are employed annually in private hospitals, while the rest are compelled to work as general nurses, increasing the risk of complications and accidents during childbirth.
The event was attended by Bangladesh Midwifery Society President Rozina Khatun, General Secretary Hasna Akhter, Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council Registrar Halima Akhter and other stakeholders.
