Government moves to recruit 25,000 midwives to protect women's health, health minister says in Monohardi

The government has taken an initiative to recruit 25,000 midwives to ensure women's health protection and take healthcare to marginalised communities, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain has said. The midwives will work in remote areas on early detection of diseases including breast and cervical cancer among women, raising health awareness and providing necessary advice, he said.

The health minister made the remarks on Friday evening (30 October) as chief guest at a sewing-machine distribution ceremony for helpless and destitute women, working women and GPA-5 achievers at the Monohardi Government Pilot Model High School ground in Narsingdi.

He said that if breast and cervical cancer are detected at an early stage, the chances of recovery through proper treatment rise greatly. To that end, counselling for female students and teachers will be arranged at government and private levels to raise breast-cancer awareness. The government has also already launched a vaccination programme at the secondary level to prevent cervical cancer. These initiatives will play an important role in raising awareness among women and reducing cancer risk, he added.

Speaking on international relations and the country's sovereignty, the minister said Bangladesh would have many friends in the outside world but no master. The country may be small in size, but its geographical location gives it great importance, and no one's dominance over even an inch of Bangladeshi soil would be accepted, he said, adding that the government is determined to protect the country's security, independence and sovereignty.

Monohardi Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahmudul Hasan chaired the event, which was attended by Belabo UNO Lailatul Hossain, Monohardi police station OC Jahangir Badsha, Monohardi upazila BNP member secretary Aminur Rahman Sarkar Dolon, joint convener Moniruzzaman Monir, municipal BNP member secretary Advocate Abdul Hannan Mia, upazila BNP member Golam Mostafa, and upazila Jubo Dal member secretary Masudur Rahman Sohag, among others.

The health minister later distributed sewing machines and fruit saplings among 300 people.