Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain today said the government has taken steps to expand cancer treatment facilities across the country, with procurement of new radiotherapy and robotic surgery equipment is underway.

“We are working fast to establish eight cancer institutes in the eight divisions and expand radiotherapy services at district level to ensure cancer treatment at grassroots,” he said.

The minister made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the Medical Physics Programme at BRAC University in the city’s Merul Badda area here this morning.

The Mathematics and Physical Sciences Department of the BRAC University introduced the two-year master's programme for the first time in Bangladesh to meet the country’s growing demand for medical physicists.

About government commitment to ensure treatment for cancer, Sakhawat said the government has planned to procure 17 linear accelerators to make cancer treatment available across the country.

“We are also going to bring five major robotic surgery machines for the first time,” he said, emphasising the early detection and public awareness as critical components of the government’s cancer-control strategy, particularly for breast and cervical cancers.

He said the government would intensify HPV vaccination campaigns and promote breast cancer self-screening and awareness among women.

“Without awareness, we cannot save people from cancer,” Sakhawat said, urging health professionals and educational institutions to help spread awareness at the grassroots level.

Coming down heavily on the previous ‘fascist regime’, he said the ‘previous fascist government’ had destroyed the country’s health sector, which had been marred with corruption and plundering.    

However, after assuming office, the present government has taken robust steps for the development of the country’s health sector, he said, adding, once the projects are implemented, the country would witness a revolutionary change in the health sector within the next two years.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, we are taking the healthcare services to village level,” the minister said, adding, the government planned to establish Family Wellbeing Centres in every three wards of each union and transform existing community clinics into Health Wellbeing Centres.

“These centres will provide primary-level services, including blood analysis and breast cancer screening,” he said.

Noting that every upazila hospital is going to be transformed into a 150-bed facility, the minister said the government will strengthen dialysis, physiotherapy, maternal and newborn care at upazila-level hospitals to reduce pressure on tertiary healthcare facilities.

Stating that the government is going to appoint 5,000 doctors soon, Sakhawat said the government is also working to increase the number of hospital beds and recruit around 41,390 health workers, including 25,000 midwives, to strengthen healthcare delivery.

About the newly introduced programme at the BRAC University, he assured government cooperation in developing medical physics education and manpower, saying the government would recruit medical physicists according to the needs of the expanding cancer treatment facilities.

“Medical physics is a very important part of treatment. You do your best and improve yourselves. From the government side, we must extend our hand of cooperation to you,” the minister said.

He said medical physicists play a crucial role in radiotherapy as the accuracy of radiation dosage is vital for ensuring patient safety and the effectiveness of treatment.

“If the dose is wrong, the patient is gone. If the dose is wrong, the doctor’s credibility is gone,” he said, stressing the need for creating adequate numbers of trained medical physicists.

He urged BRAC University students, teachers and researchers to contribute to strengthening medical physics and cancer care in Bangladesh.

Professor Emeritus at Dhaka University Dr AFM Yusuf Haider, Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Professor Dr Jalal Uddin Mohammad Rumi, Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) Clinical Oncology Department Chairman Professor Dr Syed Md Akram Hussain, National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) Director Professor Dr Mostafa Aziz Sumon and Project Director of Establishment of the Integrated Cancer, Kidney and Heart Treatment Centers across Bangladesh's Eight Divisional Cities Dr Md Toufiq Hasan Firoz spoke as special guests at the event.

BRAC University Vice-Chancellor Professor Syed Ferhat Anwar chaired the programme while Mathematics and Physical Sciences (MPS) Department Chairperson Professor Hasibun Naher and Registrar and Controller of Examinations of the university Dr David Dowland delivered the welcome address.

Former Director and Chief Medical Physicist at Gumunersbach University Hospital, University of Cologne in Germany, and Adviser and Coordinator of MPS at BRAC University Professor Dr Golam Abu Zakaria presented the keynote paper while Medical Physics Program Coordinator Professor Hasin Anupama Azhari presented overview on the newly introduced programme.