Adviser of the ministries of women and children affairs and social welfare Sharmeen S Murshid on Friday said that ensuring modern, affordable and quality healthcare was then a pressing demand.
She said this while inaugurating a 100-bed specialised Khayrunnessa-Ibrahim General Hospital in Cumilla virtually. The inauguration ceremony took place at Bishnupur Munsef Quarter area of the city.
The hospital has been built to deliver low-cost healthcare services to underserved communities, Sharmeen said. The adviser expressed hope that the facility would play a vital role in expanding access to essential medical care.
Social welfare secretary Mohammad Abu Yusuf joined the ceremony as special guest with national professor AK Azad Khan, president of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association, in the chair.
Bangladesh Diabetic Association secretary Mohammad Saif Uddin, chair of National Healthcare Network Syed Rezwanul Kabir, Cumilla鈥檚 additional deputy commissioner for revenue ABM Moshiuzzaman, deputy civil surgeon Reza Md Sarwar Akbar, Professor Hazera Mahatab, Rabeya Haque, wife of the late ATM Shamsul Haque, and NHN chief executive officer MA Samad also spoke.
Politicians, freedom fighters, teachers, representatives of pharmaceutical companies, journalists, and people from various walks of life were present.
Speaking on the occasion, Professor Azad Khan said that the hospital was established to fulfil the commitment of providing trustworthy healthcare to people.
With modern technology and skilled doctors, it will become one of the country鈥檚 leading humanitarian healthcare centres, he added.
Mohammad Saif Uddin said that the hospital would facilitate low-income people to have treatment from Cumilla instead of traveling to Dhaka.
There will have specialist doctors, modern labs and facilities in the hospital, and no one鈥檚 treatment will be stopped due to lack of money, he added.
Speakers at the event hoped that in near future it will be upgraded to a 250-bed hospital and provide integrated healthcare services.
The ceremony began with observing a one-minute silence for the late ATM Shamsul Haque, former chair of the Public Administration Reform Commission and former secretary, who had donated 125 decimals land in his mother鈥檚 name for the hospital.
The hospital, jointly funded by the ministry of social welfare and Bangladesh Diabetic Association, will provide specialised treatment to diabetic and other patients along with advanced diagnostic services.
The hospital have departments of medicine, surgery, gynaecology, paediatrics, nephrology, orthopaedics, cardiology, neurology, ophthalmology, and dentistry, alongside facilities for echo, X-ray, ultra sonogram, colour Doppler, ECG, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation.
Advanced operation theatres, an eye surgery unit, 24-hour emergency services, ambulance, and pharmacy services are also available in the hospital.
