Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain expressed strong dissatisfaction over the poor-quality meals served to patients during a surprise inspection of Khulna 250-bed General Hospital this morning.

The minister arrived at the hospital around 10:30am and toured various wards, speaking directly with patients during the visit.

He inspected the hospital kitchen and expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of food prepared for patients. After tasting a pumpkin curry, he immediately spat it out and rinsed his mouth with water.

Addressing the cook, he said, “Is this what happens when you cook while sitting on a chair? If your wife had cooked this, would you eat it?”

He instructed the hospital authorities to improve the quality of meals served to patients.

Several patients complained of harassment while attempting to access rabies vaccines, alleging they were compelled to purchase each dose for Tk 250. The allegations prompted an immediate reaction from the health minister, who sought an explanation from the hospital superintendent, Gazi Rafiqul Islam.

The superintendent said the issue had earlier arisen due to a shortage of vaccine supply. However, after the minister contacted the relevant authorities in Dhaka from the spot, he was told that no requisition for vaccines had been submitted to the department concerned. The minister then warned that action would be taken against those responsible.

The minister also inspected the outpatient department, waste management facilities and hospital toilets during the visit.

Later in the day, Sakhawat visited Khulna Medical College Hospital, which was recently damaged by fire.

Speaking to journalists there, he said the government had proposed increasing the health sector allocation by 1 percent in the upcoming national budget to improve healthcare services and provide modern medical equipment across hospitals in the country.

“Over the past 17 years, very little was purchased for the health sector; there was only looting. Neither the previous fascist government nor the interim administration paid proper attention to this sector,” the minister said.

The minister further said that five under-construction specialised children’s hospitals, including one in Khulna, would become operational within the next five months, marking a new phase in child healthcare services.

He also outlined plans to strengthen hospital security, saying that after Eid, a 10-member security team led by a platoon commander would be deployed in every upazila. Ansar personnel would additionally be assigned to each hospital unit, he added.