Health minister tastes patients' food during hospital inspection 

SHARANKHOLA, BAGERHAT, July 26: Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain Bakul on Saturday personally tasted food prepared for patients during a surprise inspection of the Sharankhola Upazila Health Complex, saying the quality of hospital meals must never be compromised.

During his visit, the minister inspected the emergency department, outpatient unit, male and female wards, and pathology laboratory. He also spoke with patients about the quality of treatment, availability of medicines, cleanliness, and overall hospital services.

At one stage, he visited the hospital kitchen and, instead of relying solely on officials' assurances, sampled the curry prepared for admitted patients to assess its quality firsthand.

Addressing hospital authorities afterwards, he said meals served to patients must be nutritious, hygienic and of good quality, warning that negligence in ensuring food standards would not be tolerated.

Speaking to journalists after the visit, the minister announced that the 50-bed Sharankhola Upazila Health Complex would be upgraded to a 100-bed facility to improve healthcare services in the disaster-prone coastal area.

He also said a modern 10-bed dialysis unit would be established at the hospital to provide treatment for kidney patients closer to home.

"The government is conducting surprise inspections at hospitals across the country to identify problems firsthand and take prompt corrective measures," he said.

Describing Sharankhola as a remote and disaster-prone coastal upazila, the minister said local residents often have to travel to the district headquarters for treatment, making the expansion of the hospital an urgent necessity.

He also said the government would soon recruit new doctors and around 100,000 healthcare workers to strengthen the public health system. Plans are also underway to gradually introduce 10-bed dialysis units at upazila-level hospitals across the country, he added.

The minister said government hospitals currently have adequate stocks of essential medicines, family planning supplies and vaccines.

He also warned that negligence in providing healthcare services would not be tolerated and instructed doctors and hospital staff to ensure compassionate treatment and improve the overall quality of patient care.

Among those present during the visit were Deputy Commissioner Golam Md Baten, Superintendent of Police Hasan Md Rikabdar, Acting Sharankhola Upazila Nirbahi Officer Orthita Hawlader, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Priya Gopal Biswas, Sharankhola Upazila BNP President Md Anwar Hossain Panchayet, senior health officials, local physicians, administrative officials and journalists.

The minister's announcement of the hospital expansion and dialysis unit, along with his decision to personally inspect the quality of patients' meals, drew a positive response from local residents, who expressed hope that the promised initiatives would soon improve healthcare services for people across the coastal region.