Dhaka, Jun 3 (V7N) – Health Minister Md. Sakhawat Hossain has announced that the government will launch a door-to-door health screening program aimed at expanding healthcare services at the grassroots level.

The minister made the announcement while briefing journalists on health sector issues at the Secretariat on Wednesday (June 3).

He said the initiative will initially be introduced on a pilot basis in one union of 6 to 10 upazilas. If the program proves successful, it will be gradually expanded across the country.

According to the Health Minister, the objective of the initiative is to ensure that healthcare services reach people more effectively at the grassroots level. As part of the program, medical kit boxes will be provided for home-based health services. These kits will include facilities for blood, urine and diabetes testing, among other basic health examinations.

To strengthen healthcare services in rural areas, the minister also announced plans to appoint one female physiotherapist and one male physiotherapist in every hospital.

Md. Sakhawat Hossain further said that the government has decided to upgrade the country's 492 Upazila Health Complexes from 50-bed facilities to 101-bed hospitals. He noted that, following the Prime Minister’s directive, the Public Works Department has already begun work on the project.

The minister also revealed plans to establish five specialized 200-bed children's hospitals in Khulna, Barisal, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Comilla divisions. Each facility will include a specialized Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He expressed hope that the hospitals would be completed within six months and inaugurated by the Prime Minister.

In addition, five specialized hospitals dedicated to women's healthcare will be constructed under a joint Bangladesh-China initiative.

The Health Minister also announced that the old building of Dhaka's Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital will be demolished and replaced with a new modern facility as part of efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure across the country.

END/SMA/AJ