Health minister orders mandatory labour rooms at all private hospitals, clinics

Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain. File photo

Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain has directed all private clinics and hospitals across Bangladesh to establish labour rooms (delivery room) by Saturday, 11 July.

He also warned that institutions failing to comply with the direction will have their licences cancelled.

The health minister issued the directive while addressing a programme organised by the Bangladesh Midwifery Society in the capital on Monday (6 July).

Sakhawat Husain said the establishment of labour rooms at all private healthcare facilities would be mandatory.

The health minister said there was no alternative to expanding access to normal deliveries in order to ensure safe maternal healthcare. To achieve this, the government would make it mandatory for all private hospitals and clinics to establish labour rooms and employ trained midwives.

He said the directives must be implemented within the stipulated timeframe. Any hospital or clinic that failed to comply would face strict action, including the possible closure of the facility.

The minister expressed hope that the new initiative would strengthen safe maternal healthcare services across the country and significantly increase the rate of normal deliveries.

During the event, the minister also said the government had made adequate bed capacity available nationwide to cope with dengue and measles patients.

He added that mobile hospitals would be deployed if the situation required additional medical support.

The health minister further announced that tablets for destroying Aedes mosquito larvae would be distributed across the country within the next seven days as part of efforts to curb the spread of dengue.