Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday announced that the government will provide free insulin to the diabetic patients of the country through community clinics. She said this while addressing the second graduation completion programme of Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital & Nursing College. “We have decided that we will include insulin in the list of free medicines of the community clinics across the country for the diabetic patients,” she said. Currently, the government is providing 30 types of medicines free of cost through the community clinics. “We will give away insulin free of cost so that the diabetic patients could get relief,” she added. The prime minister called upon the country’s youth to get nursing education and training engage to provide nursing services on a large scale. “I will call on the youth folk to come forward to receive nursing education and engage them in nursing service. It will not only create employment at home but also abroad,” she said. She believed that Bangladesh will also move ahead in this (nursing) field as the country is moving ahead in every field. “…and I want this,” she said. Hasina, also the chair of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust, disclosed that it will establish a medical college alongside this hospital and nursing college. Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialized Hospital and Nursing College (SFMMKPJSH&NC), named after the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib, was established by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust. She said that the government has always regarded the nursing as a dignified profession and provided priority for its development. She said that Bangabandhu established related institutes and took various steps to increase the dignity of nursing profession, development of nursing services and technology. Following the footsteps of Bangabandhu the government has upgraded the nursing profession to second class service. She mentioned that during her 1996-2001 tenure and from 2009 to till now the government has appointed around 38,000 nurses. Read more: PM seeks more supports from ADB for education, skills development and infrastructures “At the same time, development and recruitment of midwives in the health sector to prevent maternal and child mortality is a significant achievement of the Awami League government,” she added. The premier said at present, importance and reputation of nursing profession is increasing all over the world. According to Gallup, an analytical organization in the United States, nursing has been named the most trustworthy profession in 2022 as in 2021. She praised the role of nurses in people’s services along with doctors during the Covid-19 pandemic and said it will be remembered forever. She mentioned that there is huge demand for nurses in different countries across the world as well as in Bangladesh. She said many from the nursing profession could avail jobs abroad through learning the languages of the host countries. The PM, however, said the requirement of the country has to be met before sending nurses abroad. She briefly highlighted different initiatives of her government for the development of the health and nursing sectors. As part of the initiatives of Awami League government, she said, the old 23 nursing institutes have been upgraded to Nursing Colleges where 4-year B.Sc in Nursing courses and Post Basic courses are being conducted. “Besides, another 16 nursing institutes are in the process of being upgraded to nursing colleges,” she said. Currently, 69 nursing and midwifery institutes are running Diploma, BSc Basic and Post Basic as well as Masters courses at the government level. The National Institute of Advanced Nursing Education and Research (NIENER) for higher education and research in the field of nursing has been established. Besides, the Awami League government has established 23 new medical colleges in the last 14 years. It has plans to establish medical universities in each division and has already set up medical universities in four divisions. The prime minister said that her government always serves the people and takes required measures to this end. “We can take the credit that we have been able to change Bangladesh from 2009 to 2023,” she said. She said that her government has increased education rate, reduced maternal and child mortality rate, provided electricity in each house, reached health services to the people along with providing free medicines through community. KPJ Healthcare Berhad president Norhaizam Binti Mohammad was the speaker of the graduation ceremony. Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialized Hospital & Nursing College chief executive officer Mohd. Taufik Bin Ismail also spoke. Among the graduates, Enamul Huq expressed his feelings. The PM also handed over certificates among 210 nurses and the Prime Minister’s award among six graduating nurses for their outstanding results in their respective sessions. A documentary on Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialized Hospital & Nursing College was screened in the programme. The Prime Minister also inaugurated theWebsite, Hospital Management Software and Medical Journal of the hospital. Professor Deen Md. Noorul Haque, former Director General of Health Services, handed over a copy of KPJ Dhaka Journal of Medical Science to the prime minister. Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) Commissioner Sheikh Shamsuddin Ahmed handed over the dummy of a Slit Lamp and Operative microscope to the prime minister.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has completed the first 12 of 100 community clinics under construction in Cox’s Bazar, as part of a joint effort with the Government of Bangladesh and the World Bank to expand access to health care.   “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Bangladesh has boosted national health care programmes and launched comprehensive countrywide COVID-19 vaccination operations, which IOM supported in Cox’s Bazar and other parts of the country,” said Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque on Sunday. “We are now working together to ensure the healthcare system reaches the doorstep of every person. The inauguration of the newly constructed community clinics in Cox’s Bazar is one of many government interventions to achieve this goal.” Access to basic infrastructure and services in the southernmost part of the country, where Bangladesh hosts around 1 million Rohingya refugees, were already much lower compared to the national average. Many of the existing health facilities were built two decades ago and have since suffered infrastructural damage caused by flooding and other natural hazards.  IOM demolished the old clinics and constructed larger, environmentally sustainable buildings that include solar-powered systems, safe water supply and improved sanitation facilities. “The multidimensional needs of refugee and host communities requires strong partnerships between key humanitarian and development actors to simultaneously tackle immediate and long-term challenges,” said Abdusattor Esoev, IOM Chief of Mission in Bangladesh.  “This collaboration between the Government of Bangladesh, World Bank and IOM represents a concrete example of how to translate the humanitarian-development nexus into lasting results.” As the first line of care in the communities, these clinics provide much-needed support with reproductive and family medicine; health screenings, gender-based violence response and nutrition counselling. “We have been working in close coordination with the humanitarian agencies, development partners and non-governmental organizations,” said Dandan Chen, World Bank Acting Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.  “Through a total of USD 150 million in grant support to IOM among other actors, the World Bank is helping to address the needs of host communities in Bangladesh and displaced Rohingya until their safe, voluntary and dignified return home to Myanmar.” IOM also upgraded, staffed and equipped Sadar Hospital, the district’s only secondary health care centre. The 250-bed facility provides specialized services, including special neonatal care, emergency, intensive care and coronary care units; COVID-19 treatment; blood transfusions and voluntary counselling and testing for HIV and AIDS cases, among others.  “The recently built patient ward is better than the ward that we have been shifted from,” said Abul Hasan, a 60-year-old local patient at Sadar Hospital. “We will benefit in lots of ways once the hospital has been fully renovated.” Construction of the remaining clinics and renovations to the district hospital are ongoing and expected to be completed in 2023. During the pre-construction phase, IOM built temporary structures to ensure continued access to health care services.

The government has planned to spend Tk 935.81 billion up to 2022-23 fiscal year starting from the current one for the heath sector development as it is committed to taking healthcare facilities to the doorsteps of people.