Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday directed imparting training to the staff concerned before buying medical equipment for government hospitals.
She gave the directive while presiding over the meeting of the executive committee of the National Economic Council virtually from the Ganabhaban.
Briefing reporters at the planning commission, planning minister MA Mannan said that the PM wanted a proper utilisation of medical equipment.
Recalling his field-level experiences, the planning minister said that he had come across health workers who failed to operate equipment and thus deprived patients of the benefit of the tools.
It has been reported in media that tools in many government hospitals have remained unused in the absence of trained manpower to operate those.
On September 12, 2021, the High Court directed the health ministry to investigate the incident of 28 pieces of emergency medical equipment remaining unused in 16 government health facilities across the country.
An intensive care unit ambulance in Chuadanga Civil Surgeon’s office remained unused until June due to a shortage of trained medical personnel.
In Bangladesh, the out-of-pocket health expenditure is one of the highest in the world.
In 2020, people spent Tk 68.5 from their pocket for every health expense of Tk 100, up from Tk 67 for Tk 100 five years ago, according to the National Health Accounts, a Health Economics Unit wing.
The planning minister also said that the PM had again given emphasis on the proper use of agricultural land for growing more food so that there was no food shortage.
In the past week, the PM directed the food ministry to find out alternative sources for food import as scanty rain in home and volatility on the global commodity market may cause a shortage of food in the country in November.
The PM has once again asked the ministries and divisions to complete their Annual Development Programme projects timely, said the planning minister.
The PM also wanted the agriculture officers to expand the cultivation of mushroom around the country.
