Honorable Prime Minister Tarek Rahman has directed the swift operationalization of six unused children's hospitals. A report titled ‘Six Children's Hospital Buildings Lie Idle at a Cost of 320 Crore Taka’ was published in the Daily Prothom Alo newspaper on April 12, 2026. The report came to the attention of Prime Minister Tarek Rahman. The report mentioned that although six modern hospital buildings were constructed in Rangpur, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet, and Cumilla, they have remained unused for year after year. After reading such a news story in the newspaper, the Prime Minister held an emergency meeting with Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Mo. Sakawat Hossain, Deputy Minister Dr. M A Muht, and Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry Mo. Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, along with other relevant officials. At the meeting, the Prime Minister immediately directed the Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry and other relevant officials present to promptly inspect these six unused hospitals and initiate their operations. At the same time, the Prime Minister has instructed that a comprehensive report on the implementation of the directives and progress be submitted by June 2, 2026. The meeting discussed that the Kushtia Medical College Hospital is partially operational. In this regard, Prime Minister Tarek Rahman has directed the full operationalization of this 500-bed hospital. Additionally, he has directed the swift operationalization of the remaining hospitals, including the super-specialized hospital under Bangladesh Medical University in Shahbagh, Dhaka. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage the Chinese Embassy to expedite the work on the 1,000-bed Bangladesh-China Friendship Hospital in Nilphamari and start operations promptly. It is learned that the Bangladesh-China Friendship Hospital in Nilphamari will be constructed in the Sadar Upazila. The project aligns with the current government's election manifesto commitment to ‘Establish Modern Secondary Healthcare Units in Every District.’ Health and Family Welfare Ministry Secretary Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said, ‘In the northern region of Bangladesh, especially in the Rangpur Division, ensuring treatment for complex diseases has become challenging for nearly 20 million people in the area due to high poverty rates, limited health infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled human resources. In this situation, once the Bangladesh-China Friendship Hospital is built, the hospital will function as a regional referral center.’ Additionally, the Health and Family Welfare Ministry Secretary commented that expanding advanced medical services in the northern region is a timely and strategic step.
