Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Shakhawat Hossain announced that modern pathological laboratories will be established in every upazila hospital across Bangladesh within this year. He made the statement on Monday, July 13, at the inauguration of the ‘Sustaining Play, Learning and in Humanitarian Contexts (SPLASH)’ program organized by BRAC and the LEGO Foundation at the Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka. The minister said necessary equipment for the labs will be imported this month.

He added that dialysis centers with 50 beds in medical college hospitals, 10 beds in district hospitals, and 10 beds in upazila hospitals are being set up to expand dialysis services. The government has also taken steps to ensure healthcare at the grassroots level, including deploying midwives and caregivers equipped with screening machines to conduct home visits. As part of family planning efforts, a nationwide birth control campaign will be launched to reduce the rising population growth rate.

The minister highlighted the historical development of upazila hospitals and said modernization under current leadership will include breastfeeding corners, prayer spaces, pathology units, and dialysis centers.