People getting better health services from ‘Boikalic Sashtoseba’: Maleque

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Tuesday said people are getting better healthcare facilities from the ‘Boikalic Sashtoseba’ (afternoon healthcare service) introduced at public hospitals.

“We have launched ‘Boikalic Sashtoseba’ to discourage the people to go to private hospitals and clinics,” he told the function for expansion of the boikalic sashtoseba at his ministry here, an official release said.

On March 30, after working hours, doctors at 51 public hospitals under 39 upazilas of 12 districts started to see patients taking fees, Maleque added.

“We have got good response from the Boikalic Sashtoseba... for this, we have introduced the Boikalic Sashtoseba at 132 more hospitals meaning these special healthcare facilities are now providing health services at 183 including four hospitals of Dhaka city,” he said.

Secretary of Health Services Division Md. Anwar Hossain Howlader, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam and Director General of Drug Administration Major General Mohammad Yusuf, among others, were present at the function.

Maleque said, “We have taken all necessary measures to prevent the dengue disease... we have directed all relevant organizations to take steps for stopping the outbreak of the disease”.

As part of the collective efforts, the health ministry has provided a survey report on the dengue situation to the city corporations of Dhaka to take preventive measures including destroying breeding grounds of Aedes mosquito.

The health minister urged city dwellers to keep their houses clean for controlling the outbreak of the dengue disease.