United News of Bangladesh

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain on Monday stressed the need for greater public awareness of thalassaemia, warning that the inherited blood disorder could pose a serious health risk to future generations. “Thalassaemia will be a very dangerous disease for the next generation,” he said, underscoring the importance of educating people about the disease, its risks and ways to prevent it. He made the remarks at a discussion organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Sandhani Central Council and Sandhani National Eye Donation Society at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) in the capital, marking National Voluntary Blood and Posthumous Eye Donation Day. Sandhani, a pioneer of the voluntary blood and eye donation movement in Bangladesh, also operates an eye bank and encourages people to pledge their eyes for donation after death to help restore sight to others. The Minister called for regular seminars and awareness programmes to educate the public about thalassaemia and the importance of prevention, saying such initiatives should continue beyond special occasions. He said he had also tried to raise awareness about the disease during visits to his constituency and urged others to spread the message in their respective communities. The Minister also stressed the importance of promoting voluntary blood donation by addressing misconceptions about its effects on donors' health. Urging doctors to use their professional and social interactions to motivate people, he said blood donation was a humanitarian act that could save lives. He also called for highlighting the religious significance of blood donation to encourage more people to come forward. The Minister said greater awareness of thalassaemia could help reduce the disease burden while ensuring an adequate supply of blood for patients who require regular transfusions.

Two children died with measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours ending at 8:00am on Sunday, bringing the country’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 1,254 this year. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) classified the latest fatalities as suspected measles deaths. With this, the total number of suspected measles deaths has reached 1,149, while confirmed deaths have remained the same at 105. A total of 1,353 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, taking the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide to 230,013. Meanwhile, 68 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, pushing laboratory-confirmed infections to 23,935. Since March 15 this year, a total of 204,783 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 196,183 have recovered, according to the DGHS.

Three more people died of dengue and 1,262 new patients were hospitalised across the country in the 24 hours ending at 8:00am on Friday. With the latest fatalities, the country's dengue death toll has risen to 418 this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The DGHS reported that all three deaths occurred in Dhaka Division. Since January 1, a total of 133,367 dengue patients have been admitted to hospitals across the country. Of them, 126,713 have recovered.

Two children died with measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours to 8:00am on Friday, bringing the country’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 1,251 this year. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has classified all latest fatalities as suspected measles deaths. With these, the total number of suspected measles deaths has reached 1,146 while confirmed deaths from measles remain same at 105. A total of 1,316 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, bringing the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide to 227,673. Meanwhile, 75 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 23,770. Since March 15 this year, a total of 202,639 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 194,399 have recovered, according to DGHS data.

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.

Seven more children died with measles and measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours to 8:00am on Tuesday, bringing the country’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 1,240 this year. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has classified six latest fatalities as suspected measles deaths while another as confirmed measles death. With these, the total number of suspected measles deaths has reached 1,135 while confirmed deaths from measles stood at 105. A total of 1,232 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, bringing the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide to 223,784. Meanwhile, 63 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 23,541. Since March 15 this year, a total of 199,127 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 191,090 have recovered, according to DGHS data.

Five more people died of dengue and 2,218 new patients were hospitalised across the country in the 24 hours ending at 8:00am on Monday. With the latest fatalities, the dengue death toll in the country has risen to 389 this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Among the new deaths, one each was reported in Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi and Barishal divisions. Since January 1 this year, a total of 126,166 dengue patients have been admitted to hospitals across the country. Of them, 119,393 have recovered.

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit on Monday stressed the need to translate research findings into health policies and programmes to improve patient care and influence resource allocation. “Research has its greatest impact when it brings changes to a country’s policies or to policies in a particular field internationally,” he said while presenting the keynote paper at the inauguration of a 22-week research methodology course at Dhaka Medical College (DMC). Titled “The Research Journey: From Idea to Publication”, the certified course has been launched by the Bangladesh Society of Medicine in collaboration with the departments of Medicine and Gastroenterology of DMC. The course will feature weekly lectures over 22 weeks, covering the research process from developing an idea and formulating research questions to writing protocols, analysing data and publishing findings. The state minister said research could bring changes to clinical practice, help develop new programmes and expand patients’ access to treatment. He urged researchers to look beyond academic degrees and professional promotions and focus on how their work could address practical health needs. The state minister observed that much of the research in Bangladesh, in his experience, was conducted for professional promotion. However, he noted that such research could also produce valuable findings and encourage researchers to continue their work. Sharing his own experience, he said he had spent around 25 years engaged in research, which had played a role in bringing him to his current position. The course aims to strengthen research skills among doctors, teachers and young researchers and encourage the production of quality research and publications. DMC Principal Professor Dr Md Mazharul Shaheen chaired the inaugural ceremony. Director General of the Directorate General of Medical Education Professor Dr Nazmul Hossain, Sir Salimullah Medical College Principal and Bangladesh Society of Medicine convener Professor Dr Md Monir-uz-Zaman, and Dhaka Medical College Hospital Director Brigadier General AKM Farhad Hossain attended the programme. Professor Dr Mohammad Zakaria Al-Aziz, a professor in DMC’s Department of Medicine and member secretary of the Bangladesh Society of Medicine, delivered the welcome address, while Professor Dr Md Shahabul Huda Chowdhury explained the course’s objectives.

Radiotherapy machines will be installed at the district level hospitals within the next two years to bring cancer treatment services closer to people's doorsteps, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Shakhawat Husain said on Monday. “The government is working to expand cancer treatment beyond divisional cities and make the services accessible to people at the district level. The health sector is being reorganised to make it more people-oriented and meet public expectations. Work is progressing rapidly towards this goal,” the minister said. He made the remarks while inaugurating a Medical Physics programme at the auditorium of BRAC University in Dhaka. BRAC University Vice-Chancellor Prof Said Farhat Anwar chaired the programme, while Prof Dr Golam Abu Zakeria delivered the keynote address. Praising the country's physicians, the minister described them as a valuable asset who stand by people during any crisis and work tirelessly for public welfare. “Our doctors love their patients and are ready to make any sacrifice for the well-being of people,” he said. The minister also said the supply of medicines has been increased and improvements have been made in hospital cleanliness and the quality of food provided to patients, contributing to greater patient satisfaction. Bangladesh is not far behind in healthcare services, but there is still room for improvement in medical equipment and modern technology, he said. The health sector suffered in the past due to irregularities and looting, the minister said, adding that the present government is working to rebuild it. Necessary reforms and development initiatives would be undertaken gradually to ensure healthcare services that meet public expectations, he said.

Six children died with measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours ending at 8:00am on Monday, bringing the country’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 1,233 this year. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) classified the latest fatalities as suspected measles deaths. With this, the total number of suspected measles deaths has reached 1,129, while confirmed deaths have remained the same at 104. A total of 1,388 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, taking the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide to 222,552 Meanwhile, 78 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, pushing laboratory-confirmed infections to 23,478. Since March 15 this year, a total of 197,999 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 190,036 have recovered, according to the DGHS.