Govt plans pathology labs at upazila health complexes

The government has started the process of recruiting 5,000 doctors to address the shortage of healthcare professionals and plans to establish pathology laboratories at upazila-level health complexes, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare MA Muhit said on Saturday.
He also said coordinated government initiatives had helped keep dengue under control, while preparations were being strengthened to tackle measles and dengue, expand vaccination coverage and improve diagnostic facilities at the upazila level.
The state minister made the remarks while speaking to journalists after a workshop on the progress of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), HPV vaccination, e-Tracker and other health programmes at a hotel in Rajshahi city. The workshop was organised by the Rajshahi divisional health directorate on Saturday.
Nearly 40 per cent of posts in the health sector remain vacant, Muhit said, adding that the number of doctors, nurses and medical technologists had not increased in proportion to population growth and the expansion of hospitals. As a result, hospitals are struggling to cope with the patient load.
To address the shortage, the government has initiated the recruitment of 5,000 doctors, he said.
The government has also taken steps to ensure doctors attend their workplaces regularly. Muhit said around 80-90 per cent of doctors were currently present at their workplaces.
He added that initiatives were underway to establish pathology laboratories and make equipment functional at upazila health complexes. These measures would expand diagnostic services at the local level and reduce patients’ difficulties in accessing healthcare, he said.
Highlighting progress in the health sector, the state minister said government initiatives over the past six months had helped restore confidence in the healthcare system among health professionals and the public. Nationwide programmes were also underway to control measles and dengue and reduce deaths from the diseases.
Regarding measles vaccination, Muhit said more than two crore children had received vaccines so far, and the programme was continuing. As measles is highly contagious and difficult to control once an outbreak spreads, the government was prioritising prevention alongside treatment, he said.
On dengue, the state minister said data collection had begun four months earlier in anticipation of a possible rise in infections. Analysis of the data indicated that cases could increase from the final week of September through October, prompting the government to make advance preparations.
Different government departments are working together to control dengue, he said. Cleaning drives are being conducted at government institutions and hospitals every Saturday, while city corporations and municipalities are carrying out mosquito-control activities and destroying mosquito larvae.
Dengue prevalence was higher in the Khulna and Barishal regions than in Rajshahi, he added.
Muhit stressed that disease prevention was more effective than treatment after infection. The government was therefore prioritising vaccination, cleanliness and public awareness.
Earlier in the morning, Directorate General of Health Services Director General Professor Prabhat Chandra Biswas visited Rajshahi Medical College Hospital before attending the workshop.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, he said primary and upazila-level healthcare facilities were being prepared to manage diseases such as measles and dengue.
The workshop was chaired by Rajshahi Divisional Health Director Md Habibur Rahman.
Special guests included Professor Prabhat Chandra Biswas, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services; Professor Dr Md Zawadul Haque, vice-chancellor of Rajshahi Medical University; and Md Mahfuzur Rahman Riton, administrator of Rajshahi City Corporation.
Rajshahi Medical College Hospital Director Brigadier General PKM Masud-ul-Islam and Rajshahi Medical College Principal Professor Dr Faisal Alam were also present.