Mobile hospitals being set up to tackle dengue: Health minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain today (11 May) said the government is setting up mobile hospitals to tackle dengue as part of its commitment to ensuring healthcare for all.

"Ensuring good health for all is our election pledge. The government is working to keep that goal in mind. We are setting up mobile hospitals to tackle dengue," he told journalists after making surprise visits to different hospitals here this morning.

The health minister said one staff member was closed for providing false information during the visit.

He said directives were given to take action against hospital brokers alongside improving the environment and quality of services at hospitals.

He said Barishal Children's Hospital would be made fully operational within the next three to four months.

He also said one lakh manpower would be recruited in the health sector from next July.

Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said no allocation or adequate recruitment of doctors was made in the health sector during the "17 years of misrule", adding that solving all problems in one night was not possible.

Referring to the measles-rubella situation, he said, "We had no vaccines in hand to tackle measles-rubella. The way we collected vaccines within a very short time is rare in world history. The number of patients is now decreasing. The previous government neither collected vaccines nor carried out awareness campaigns."

He said measles infection has not yet been completely stopped, and it would take some time for children to develop immunity.

About the dengue situation, the minister said the government has already taken preparations and is placing more emphasis on preventive measures.

"We have taken the initiative to establish mobile hospitals to tackle dengue," he said.

Regarding the investigation, he said, "I am not interested in any investigation right now. Investigation can be done later; first, we have to save the children."

Earlier, around 10am, the health minister arrived at Barishal 100-bed General Hospital. He first went to the ticket counter and talked to patients.

Later, he visited the office of the hospital superintendent, inspected the attendance register of doctors, and toured the old building of the hospital.

During the inspection, a ticket clerk was closed on charges of negligence in duty.

Later, he also visited Barishal Children's Hospital and Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.

The minister said he would inspect different hospitals in Barishal throughout the day.

He also said that, as there had long been no management committees for Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital and Barishal General Hospital, management committees would be formed by tomorrow (12 May) for Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital and Barishal General Hospital.