Dhaka, Jul 06 (V7N) — Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain has warned that private clinics failing to ensure normal delivery facilities by Saturday will face legal action, including cancellation of their operating licences.
He made the announcement while addressing a workshop organized by the Midwifery Society at a hotel in the capital on Monday morning.
The minister said the government has taken the decision to promote normal childbirth and reduce the growing dependence on caesarean deliveries.
"Earlier, trained birth attendants and midwives played an important role in assisting childbirth in rural areas. That traditional system has largely disappeared as the country has developed. Now we must strengthen professional midwifery services to encourage safe normal deliveries," he said.
Expressing concern over the increasing number of caesarean sections, the minister said unnecessary surgical deliveries should be discouraged in favour of medically appropriate normal births whenever possible.
He also stressed the importance of maternal and child nutrition, saying that improving the health of mothers and newborns is essential for sustainable national development. According to the minister, a healthy generation is a prerequisite for building a strong and balanced economy.
Sakhawat Hossain further announced that the government plans to recruit 100,000 health workers nationwide, of whom 80,000 will be women. He said the largest share of the female recruits will be trained midwives to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare services across the country.
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