A Correspondent:
Chattogram: Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain has announced plans to turn the Patiya Upazila Health Complex into a model hospital, so that people across the greater South Chattogram region can receive better healthcare service.
He made the announcement to journalists on Saturday (October 3) during a surprise visit to the complex yesterday.
The Minister toured several departments and spoke with patients about the overall state of medical ser-vices at the complex. He checked the hospital’s biomedical equipment, diagnostic facilities, medicine and saline supplies, and the quality of food served to admitted patients.
During the visit, the minister was accompanied by Alhaj Enamul Haque Enam, MP, Director General of Health Services, and other senior officials of the concerned ministry.
The minister said work is underway to upgrade existing 50-bed hospitals to 101-bed facilities. New 101-bed hospitals will also be built in areas that currently have none. These projects will proceed on a priori-ty basis, after evaluating the actual need.
“I have come to inspect the condition of the Patiya Health Complex under the special directive of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman,” he said. “This hospital will be upgraded to a 150-bed facility as quickly as possible. In the meantime, I have instructed that some additional beds be arranged on an emergency basis to ease patients’ suffering.”
Hospital authorities told the minister that the complex is a vital healthcare center for the region.
In addition to the residents of Patiya Upazila, approximately four lakh people from neighboring areas — including Banshkhali, Chandanaish, Anwara, and Karnaphuli — come to this hospital for medical treat-ment.
As a result, hospital authorities are facing difficulties in providing daily services. More than a thousand patients visit the outpatient department every day, and approximately 100 to 150 patients are admitted to the hospital.
The authorities described several long-standing problems and asked for the minister’s intervention.
The Minister said blood tests for admitted patients must be made available within the hospital. He stressed the need to ensure a steady supply of essential medicines and saline and to improve food quality. He also instructed the relevant officials to make sure patients receive proper medical care.
Dr. Sheikh Fazle Rabbi, Divisional Director of Health (Chattogram); Dr. Sajedur Rahman, Civil Sur-geon; and Dr. Mohammad Abu Tayeb, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer, among others, were present on the occasion.
