Bed capacities to double at 492 upazila hospitals nationwide: Minister

The government is launching a major overhaul of the country’s healthcare infrastructure, including an ambitious plan to more than double the capacity of 492 upazila health complexes from 50 to 101 beds.
Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain announced the initiative during a press conference at the Secretariat on Wednesday, noting that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has ordered an immediate start to the process. 
Public Works Department officials are already on the ground assessing infrastructure needs.
“Of the country’s 500 upazilas, eight already have 100-bed hospitals. Excluding those, the remaining 492 upazila hospitals will be upgraded from 50 beds to 101 beds,” the minister said, adding that all relevant ministries have been instructed to secure the necessary manpower and logistics.
In what he termed a “landmark step” for rural rehabilitation, each upgraded complex will recruit one male and one female physiotherapist. 
“Physiotherapy services are increasingly needed in rural areas. To ensure comfortable access for both men and women, each hospital will have one male and one female physiotherapist,” Husain explained.
The minister also revealed that five specialized 200-bed children’s hospitals in Khulna, Barishal, Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Cumilla are scheduled to open by December 2026. 
Tenders for equipment have been floated, and the Ministry of Public Administration has been directed to allocate the roughly 1,475 personnel required per facility. 
The hospitals will feature ICUs and central air-conditioning.
Turning to institutional corruption, Husain took aim at the sector’s legacy. 
“Students at Dhaka Medical College Hospital have been living in extremely inadequate and inhumane conditions. Due to corruption and neglect over the past 17 years, very little meaningful work was carried out in the health sector. We want to break free from this cycle of mismanagement and corruption and build a corruption-free healthcare sector, as well as a corruption-free Bangladesh,” he said.
To address this, a new Tk1,100-crore residential complex for DMCH students and doctors is in the pipeline. 
Furthermore, unsafe structures at Mitford Hospital will be replaced, discussions are underway for five women-only specialised hospitals, and a joint venture with China aims to establish five state-of-the-art, 1,000-bed hospitals in or near major cities, primarily funded by Beijing.