Titas Chakraborthey, Khulna Correspondent
The inauguration ceremony of a project to ensure the supply of Oxygen Cylinder Bank, High Flow Nasal Canula and 20-bed ICU facility to all upazilas of the district during and after Covid-19 was held at the conference room of Khulna Deputy Commissioner on Wednesday. State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain attended online as the chief guest.

Speaking as the chief guest, the state minister for public administration said the initiative of Khulna district administration to ensure regular supply of oxygen to patients at the upazila level set a unique precedent. The dream of the father of the nation was to run health care facilities to the village level. About 18,000 community clinics are working towards this goal. As a result of the development of health services, the average life expectancy of the people of the country has increased. In the Covid situation, the steps taken by the government in all the districts and upazilas of the country have yielded positive results. He added that the initiative to ensure healthcare in remote and isolated upazilas is a milestone that will set an example for others.

It may be mentioned that at the district and upazila level, as per the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to ensure modern healthcare at the district and upazila level, Khulna district administration initiated and implemented a plan to set up a 20-bed ICU bed facility with oxygen cylinder bank and 4 high flow nasal cannula for the first time in Bangladesh. The project, funded by the Upazila Administration/Upazila Parishad at its own expense, with the help of local resource funds of the district and JICA through open tenders, has been assisted by Khulna Civil Surgeon’s Office, Director of Khulna Medical College Hospital, Director of Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialized Hospital, concerned Upazila Administration, Upazila Engineers and Upazila health complexes. If this project is fully implemented, the patients at the upazila level of the district will be able to be provided uninterrupted oxygen through high flow nasal cannula and automatic oxygen cylinder bank. Oxygen can be supplied to children with pneumonia, bronchiolitis, nasopharyngitis, various lung infections and heart diseases in adults such as heart failure, heart attack, stroke, metabolic acidosis, road accident respiratory distress and other diseases.

Syed Mojibul Haque, Additional Secretary, Department of Health Services, Prof. Dr. Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Director General, Department of Health, Md. Ismail Hossain, Divisional Commissioner, Khulna and Dr. Rasheda Sultana, Director, Khulna Divisional Health were present as special guests at the inauguration ceremony. Special guests in the conference room of Khulna Deputy Commissioner were Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mahbub Hasan and Civil Surgeon Dr Niaz Mohammad, and Khulna Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Helal Hossain presided over the function. Deputy Director of Local Government of Khulna District Md. Iqbal Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Overall) Md. Yusuf Ali, Additional District Administrator (Education and ICT) Md. Sadiqur Rahman Khan, President of Khulna Press Club SM Zahid Hossain and others were present on the occasion.