Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain stated that the government is making maximum efforts to prevent corruption in the health sector. He made the remarks on Sunday afternoon after inaugurating the 17th Asia Pharma Expo at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal, Dhaka. The minister said new crises are emerging and instructions have been given to address them promptly.

He mentioned that the government is taking swift steps to resolve the ventilator shortage at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where five ventilators have been arranged privately and four will be sent to Rajshahi. Due to the rise in measles cases, ICU facilities have been prepared at the Children’s Hospital, Dhaka Medical College, and DNCC Dedicated Hospital. The minister expressed sorrow over the deaths of 33 children in Rajshahi Medical College Hospital within 11 days due to lack of ventilation.

He added that a vaccination campaign is being considered to cover children who have not yet received measles vaccines. The government has allocated Tk 604 crore for this purpose and plans to launch a nationwide campaign once vaccine procurement is complete.