The morning at Kushtia General Hospital on Wednesday was unlike any other after the Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Shakhawat Hossain made an unannounced visit, triggering a wave of activity across the facility.
Without any prior notice, the minister arrived at the hospital and first proceeded to the office of the hospital superintendent, where he reviewed the attendance registers of doctors. He also examined the master roll records of staff members. During the inspection, several instances of late arrival by physicians were identified in the attendance logs.
Following this, the minister toured various hospital wards, toilets, and the kitchen area. He spoke directly with patients to assess the quality of healthcare services and even inspected beds in the wards. However, he expressed the strongest dissatisfaction over the overall cleanliness of the hospital premises.
Particularly concerning to him were the poor sanitation conditions in the kitchen area, including accumulated dirt beneath handwashing basins and a severely deteriorated drainage system. He immediately instructed the concerned officials to take swift corrective measures.
Speaking to journalists after the inspection, the Health Minister said that irregularities, corruption, and financial mismanagement during the previous government had significantly weakened the country’s healthcare system. He added that the current administration is actively working to overcome these challenges through reforms, including the construction of new hospitals, procurement of essential medical equipment, and recruitment of necessary personnel to improve service delivery.
Regarding allegations of irregularities in recruitment processes under the Civil Surgeon’s office, he stated that investigations are underway across various districts. If necessary, appointments found to be irregular will be cancelled and re-examinations will be conducted.
He further informed that, under the Prime Minister’s directive, efforts are underway to fully operationalize Kushtia Medical College within the next three months, including making essential equipment functional.
The sudden inspection not only revealed operational and cleanliness issues within the hospital but also underscored the government’s renewed emphasis on accountability and improving healthcare standards.
The visit was attended by senior health officials, political leaders, Mohammad Jasim Uddin, Superintendent of Police (PPM Bar), and Taufid Bin Hasan among others.