Staff Reporter:
Prime Minister’s wife Dr Zubaida Rahman has said the government is making its strides to ensure healthcare for all citizens of the country.
“The country’s health sector has long suffered from negligence. However, the government is working to build a system where no citizen is deprived of necessary medical services,” she said while speaking as the chief guest at a views-exchange meeting at Kurmitola General Hospital in the capital yesterday.
The hospital authorities organized the event on “Implementation of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s electoral pledges to establish equality in healthcare for the general and marginalized people in Dhaka-17”.
Zubaida Rahman said, “We have gathered here yesterday to provide the best possible healthcare services for residents of Korail, Bhashantek, and Sat Tala slums.”
She said the government hospitals are under excessive pressure, healthcare workers are discouraged and unevenly deprived, and access to quality healthcare is a daily struggle for millions.
The premier’s spouse said 72 percent of healthcare costs are borne directly by the people making illness one of the main causes of poverty.
“Our goal is a healthy, more productive, self-reliant, and sovereign nation. We want to ensure that peo-ple in Korail, Bhashantek, and Sat Tala are never deprived of medical services. From newborns to the elderly, everyone should receive proper treatment. Pregnant women must get quick and easy access to care for complications,” she said
Highlighting the contribution of the local residents, she said they are the backbone of the city, sustaining its daily life and strengthening the garment industry through their hard work.
However, 42.6 percent of residents seek solutions to daily health problems from local pharmacies, often trying to recover at any cost just to avoid missing work, she mentioned.
After the inauguration, she visited ICU patients, inquired about their treatment, and spoke with con-cerned officials about the quality of services. She urged doctors to ensure the highest standard of care.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain, Information and Broadcasting Minis-ter Zahir Uddin Swapon, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. M A Muhit, State Minister for Public Administration Md. Abdul Bari, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Affairs S M Ziauddin Hyder, Health Services Division Secretary Md Quamruzzaman Chowdhury, BNP Dhaka-17 election committee joint coordinator Prof. Dr. Farhad Halim Donar, Directorate General of Health Ser-vices (DGHS) Director General Professor Dr. Pravath Chandra Biswas and Directorate General of Medi-cal Director General Professor Dr. Nazmul Hosain also spoke on the occasion.
Kurmitola General Hospital Director Brigadier General Md Saydur Rahman chaired the views-exchange event.
Speaking at the event, Health Minister said the presence of Zubaida Rahman reflects a sense of accounta-bility.
He said her presence would create a ray of hope among the people.
Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon expressed optimism that significant improvements in healthcare services would be achieved under the current government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
He noted that past progress in agriculture under President Ziaur Rahman had made the country self-sufficient in food, and similar rapid progress in healthcare and education would be a major success.
Kurmitola hospital director said the new ICU unit has been equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, trained personnel, and round-the-clock medical services. As a result, critically ill patients will receive prompt and quality treatment, he mentioned.
