Health minister orders immediate cleanup after Barishal hospitals visit

Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain today inspected four hospitals in Barishal and expressed dissatisfaction over mismanagement, the presence of brokers, and unhygienic conditions at the facilities.

During the visit, he suspended an employee of Barishal General Hospital for remaining absent without authorisation and allegedly providing false information about his attendance.

Speaking to reporters after the inspections, the minister said he visited Barishal General Hospital, Barishal Shishu Hospital, Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital and Barishal Cancer Hospital to assess the situation firsthand.

“I had heard many things about Barishal, so I came to see the situation directly,” he said.

“At the general hospital, I found one employee absent from duty and suspended him. I would not have taken such action, but he resorted to falsehood. Despite not being present, he claimed he was on the way. I suspended him for lying,” he added.

The minister also said several doctors were arriving late at outpatient departments, adding that the matter was being investigated.

He further alleged that some brokers linked to local clinics were luring patients away from government hospitals.

“I have instructed intelligence agencies to identify and monitor these brokers. If necessary, all active brokers here will be arrested,” he said.

During the visit, he also tested the quality of food served to patients at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.

Referring to the condition of the hospitals, he said large amounts of waste and unhygienic surroundings were found inside the facilities. He instructed the authorities to clean the hospitals by tomorrow.

On the shortage of manpower in the health sector, he said the government was planning to recruit 100,000 employees.

“The mismanagement of the past 17 years left us with neither adequate resources nor manpower. Buildings were constructed, but there was no staff and no doctors were appointed. These problems cannot be solved overnight, but we are trying to address them,” he said.