Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain Bokul has warned that negligence in public healthcare will not be accepted, after making an unannounced visit to the Palash Upazila Health Complex in Narsingdi. He said that workers who do not perform their duties on time must be held responsible, especially when the people affected are patients from rural and low-income communities. The minister arrived at the hospital in the morning without advance notice and checked whether doctors and staff were present on duty as expected. He looked at the attendance register and duty roster to see if the hospital team had reported on time. During the inspection, he was not satisfied to find that several doctors and staff were missing from their assigned posts. He then visited the emergency unit, pathology laboratory, and outpatient department to review the condition of services. He also told the hospital authorities to keep the place clean and make sure medicines are available in enough supply. While speaking with patients waiting for care, he listened to their complaints and concerns. His message was clear and direct: people at the grassroots level deserve proper treatment, and delays, carelessness, or poor service should not be allowed to continue. Local officials were present during the visit, including the Palash Upazila Nirbahi Officer, the former vice chairman and Ghorashal Municipality BNP president, and the Upazila Family Planning Officer. The surprise inspection showed that the ministry is paying attention not only to hospital buildings and equipment, but also to basic discipline, staff presence, and service quality. For patients, those simple things can matter just as much as advanced machines or new medicines. A hospital may have the right rooms and supplies, but care becomes weak when staff are absent or service is slow. That is why the minister’s visit focused on practical checks that affect everyday treatment. The visit also sent a broader message to health workers across the country: public service comes with responsibility, and patient care must remain the top priority. For families in rural areas, timely treatment, clean surroundings, and enough medicine can make a major difference in their health and peace of mind.
