Govt to set up 5 burn units in 5 divisions

The government has taken a plan to set up burn units in five divisional medical colleges and hospitals in the country with Saudi Arabian funding, Health Minister Zahid Maleque told parliament yesterday.

He said this during a question-answer session, chaired by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.

In response to a query from ruling Awami League MP M Abdul Latif, the health minister said the units would be set up in Sylhet, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Barishal and Faridpur.

The health minister said the project was approved at the Ecnec meeting on December 7 last year and will be implemented from July 2022 to June 2025.

"In addition, a 100-bed burn unit will be set up at Chattogram Medical College Hospital funded by the Chinese government. Another project has been taken to set up a burn unit in Mymensingh and Khulna district under the fourth sector programme," said the minister.

Meanwhile, in reply to a query from ruling AL MP Aminul Islam, the health minister told parliament that mobile courts of Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has cancelled registration of 136 commercial drugs in 2021 due to non-compliance and other irregularities.

The minister also said licenses of 49 drug manufacturing companies and production and marketing of all types of medicines by 14 pharmaceutical companies have been suspended during this period.

Meanwhile, 2,036 cases have been filed in the mobile court run by the DGDA and a fine of Tk 2.67 crore has been realised on charges of producing and marketing fake, contaminated and unregistered medicine.  

In response to another query from M Abdul Latif, the minister said no medical personnel can refuse emergency medical services to anyone taken to hospitals, clinics or doctors.

Replying to a question by BNP MP Gulam Mohammad Siraj, Maleque said steps would be taken to introduce separate units in government hospitals of all districts to provide medical services to addicts in future.