The government plans to introduce an ambulance pool across the country from the next fiscal year to ease patient transportation, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said on Wednesday. 

The initiative aims to reduce difficulties patients face in arranging ambulances to reach hospitals, he said while talking to journalists after visiting the Muradnagar Upazila Health Complex in Cumilla.

The minister made the remarks as patients and their families suffered at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for a second consecutive day on Wednesday after private ambulance operators went on an indefinite strike on Tuesday demanding designated parking facilities there.

They, however, suspended the strike for seven days on Wednesday.

Recalling the expansion of healthcare services at the upazila level, the minister said late President Ziaur Rahman first introduced 19-bed hospitals at the upazila level to bring healthcare services closer to people.

Later, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia upgraded the facilities to 31-bed and 50-bed hospitals, he said.

Sakhawat said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has now initiated a plan to upgrade them to 151-bed facilities.

Alongside increasing the number of beds, the government plans to expand essential medical services and facilities to improve healthcare at the upazila level, he added.

The minister expressed satisfaction with the overall management of Muradnagar Upazila Health Complex, saying its environment has improved compared with the past.

However, he said some irregularities and shortcomings were identified during the visit and brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.

Meanwhile, while speaking at another programme in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria, Sakhawat alleged that the previous fascist regime destroyed the country’s health sector through corruption and looting.

He said the government is working to ensure transparency and accountability in the health sector and deliver quality healthcare services to people's doorsteps.

The minister said the health sector was turned into a hub of corruption in the past, with medical equipment purchased at a cost of crores of taka lying unused.

He said the government is working to bring changes to the health sector in line with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's zero-tolerance policy on corruption.

Sakhawat said tendering for projects worth Tk 16,000 crore will begin soon, with the work scheduled to be completed within two years.

Work is also progressing on establishing cancer, kidney and heart disease treatment centres in all eight divisions of the country, he said.

Five children's hospitals will be inaugurated within the next two months, while the process of supplying 1,150 dialysis machines is underway, the minister said, pledging to radically transform the health sector to ensure that people no longer need to travel abroad for advanced medical treatment.

He said development initiatives in the sector will prioritise people's needs and prevent the waste of public money.