Health Minister’s surprise visit at Khulna hospital
Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain has expressed his utter disappointment over the irregularities and poor services to patients at Khulna 250-bed General Hospital. The health minister made a surprise visit to the hospital today and found that rabies vaccine recipients were being forced to purchase vaccines from outside the hospital due to a shortage in supply. Aggrieved patients surrounded the minister and complained that the hospital authorities failed to provide the vaccines free of cost.
In that situation, the minister reprimanded hospital Superintendent and asked about the reason of the crisis. In response, the superintendent said the problem was caused by a lack of vaccine supply. The minister later contacted officials in Dhaka by phone and reportedly learned that the hospital authorities had not made any formal communication regarding the shortage of rabies vaccines. Expressing dissatisfaction, he told journalists that action would be taken against those responsible. The minister then went to the hospital kitchen, where he inspected the food being prepared for patients.
After tasting pumpkin curry cooked for patients, he immediately spat it out and expressed anger over the poor quality of the meal. “If such curry was cooked in your own homes, would you eat it?” the minister asked hospital officials. He later instructed the superintendent to ensure quality food for patients.
During the inspection, the minister was accompanied by Nazrul Islam Manju, administrator of Khulna City Corporation, and Khulna Deputy Commissioner Hure Jannat. Later, the health minister visited Khulna Medical College Hospital to inspect its operation theatre damaged in a fire earlier in the day. According to hospital sources, a fire broke out at around 6:00am in the post-operative and operation theatre rooms of the hospital, triggering panic among patients and attendants. Several people were injured in the rush to evacuate the building. Ten units of the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence worked for about an hour to bring the blaze under control.
