Govt plans to expand cancer care, radiotherapy facilities: Sakhawat

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain has said that radiotherapy machines will be installed at the district level within the next two years to bring cancer treatment services closer to the people.

He said efforts were underway to expand cancer treatment beyond divisional cities and make the services available at district hospitals as well.

“The health sector is being reorganised to make it more people-oriented and meet public expectations. Work is progressing rapidly towards this goal,” he said.

The minister made the remarks on Monday at the inauguration ceremony of the Medical Physics programme at the BRAC University auditorium in Dhaka.

The programme was chaired by BRAC University Vice-Chancellor Professor Said Farhat Anwar, while Professor Dr Golam Abu Zakaria delivered the keynote address.

Praising the country’s doctors, the minister said that the supply of medicines had been increased to improve the quality of healthcare services. Cleanliness at hospitals and the quality of food served to patients had also improved, leading to greater patient satisfaction.

Sakhawat Hossain said Bangladesh was not far behind in healthcare services, although there was room for further improvement in medical equipment and modern technology.

He said the health sector had suffered in the past due to irregularities and embezzlement. The current government was working to rebuild the sector, and necessary reforms and improvements would be undertaken gradually to ensure healthcare services that meet public expectations.