Health Minister's Surprise Visit to Muradnagar Health Complex: Action Ordered Against 5 Absent Doctors, Hospital to Become 151-Bed
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain, on a surprise visit to the Muradnagar Upazila Health Complex in Cumilla, has ordered departmental action against five doctors who have been absent from their workplace for a long time. At the same time, he ordered that seven doctors who are on attachment elsewhere be brought back to their own workplace.
On Wednesday (28 October) at around 8:30 in the morning, the minister visited the hospital and inquired about the doctors' attendance, the quality of service for patients and the overall environment. At that time he spoke with patients and personally gave financial assistance of six thousand taka to two helpless persons.
Hospital sources said that, out of 51 doctors, 12 were found absent at the time of the inspection. Seven of them are on attachment elsewhere. The remaining five have been absent from the workplace for a long time. Over this, the health minister ordered departmental action against the absent doctors.
During the inspection, the minister announced that the Muradnagar Upazila Health Complex would be upgraded to 151 beds. The plan includes installing 10 dialysis machines, a 20-bed ward for mothers, arrangements for 20 beds for newborns, separate physiotherapy services for men and women, and launching a breastfeeding centre.
Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said there is a plan to complete the project's tender process within the next 15 to 16 days. From among the 48 doctors who are set to join afresh on 1 November, an initiative will be taken to post doctors to the Muradnagar hospital.
Although he saw improvement in the hospital's overall management compared with before, the health minister expressed dissatisfaction over waste management and the unclean environment. He said: 'Alongside ensuring medical services, keeping the hospital environment clean is also essential.'
The minister directed the Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer to take the hospital's broken-down vehicles through the condemnation process. On the ambulance shortage, the minister said: 'There is a plan to arrange an ambulance within the next fiscal year.'
The health minister said: 'For a long time, the desired development has not happened in health services at the upazila level of the country. The present government has taken initiatives to make the upazila health complexes more modern and people-friendly.'
He said: 'The quality of medical services at the Muradnagar hospital seemed better than before. However, some irregularities came to notice, and the doctors have been warned about those.'
