'Urology units to be set up in all medical college hospitals'

Fully fledged urology units will be set up in all medical college hospitals in phases, said Health Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday.

"Steps have been taken initially to provide necessary equipment and recruit manpower along with the development of infrastructure in medical college hospitals to this end," he said at the 9th scientific conference of Bangladesh Association of Urological Surgeons at BCPS auditorium in the city.

Chaired by President of the association Prof MA Wahab, the function was also addressed by Health Secretary AFM Sarwar Kamal, Vice-Chancellor of BSMMU and President of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Prof MA Hadi, BMA Secretary General Prof AZM Jahid Hossain, Vice-President Dr Ahsan Kabir and Prof MA Salam.

Dr Mosharraf said the government has attached utmost importance to specialised treatment and taken steps to provide primary healthcare services to all.

He said post-graduate courses on many specialised subjects have been introduced in the country's six medical colleges to achieve the objectives.

As part of its ongoing programmes, the minister said, the government has also set up "National Institute of Kidney Disease and Urology" with a 54-bed hospital to provide quality treatment to patients.

He said steps have also been taken to modernise the urology department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

Nearly 50 lakh people are suffering from kidney and urological ailments in the country, he added.

Some 350 experts are taking part in the three-day conference.