One hospital bed for every 990 people in country
Health minister tells parliament
There is only one hospital bed against every 990 people in the country, Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen told parliament today.
"According to the Health Bulletin of 2022, there are total 1,71,675 beds in hospitals across the country, including 71,660 beds in public hospitals and 99,975 in private ones," he informed.
"As per the figures, there is one bed against every 990 people in the country," he added.
Public hospitals are in a sorry state with only 0.0211 beds for every 50 people, the minister said in reply to a query of independent lawmaker ABM Anisuzzaman from Mymensingh-7.
The minister said the government has a plan to increase the number of beds in all government hospital in phases.
In reply to another query of independent lawmaker Md Nasser Shahrear Zahedee, the minister informed that there are only five graduate pharmacists in all the government hospitals.
Replying to a supplementary question of opposition chief whip Mujibul Haque Chunnu, he said he can certainly close illegal clinics and diagnostic centres with support from the lawmakers.
"If the treatment of marginalised population is ensured, there will be no crowd of patients in cities like Dhaka and Chattogram, and no one will have to lie on hospital floor," he also said.