Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim on Saturday urged the private hospital authorities to provide free treatments to poor at least for a day in a year to help reduce the pressure on government hospitals.
“If private hospitals conduct special health camps or provide treatment at free of cost, even for a day, the pressure on government hospitals would be reduced and government’s purpose to ensure health services for the poor people would be easier to achieve,” he said.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of 13th International Surgical Congress and SAARC Surgical Congress at Bangabandhu International Conference Center in the city.
The Society of Surgeons of Bangladesh and the SAARC Surgical Care Society jointly organised the four-day congress.
“Bangladesh is a small country with huge population, so it is not easy for the government to ensure health services unless the affluent persons in the society come forward to establish hospitals and provide treatments with minimum cost,” he added.
More than 750 delegates from home and abroad under the SAARC umbrella attended the conference with the theme ‘Inspiring standard-Encouraging Quality’.
Talking to BSS Secretary of the organising committee Prof AZM Mostaque Hossain said, “Every congress provides a vast area for unique development of surgical fraternity and allows to share experiences and ideas which helps developing surgical services for people.”
This year five surgical experts were granted the award ‘Icon of Surgery.’ They are, Prof Golam Rasul, Bangladesh, Dr Ram Prasad Shrestha, Nepal, Prof Dr Mumtaz Meher, Pakistan, Prof Dr, Satish K Shukla. India and Prof Channa Ratanatunga, Sri lanka.
Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) President Professor Mahmud Hasan and Secretary General Professor M Iqbal Arslan also spoke at the inaugural session with Congress President Prof Modud Hossain Alamgir in the chair.
