Social Welfare Minister Professor Dr Zahid Hossain said no one would be left without treatment because of a lack of money in a future humane Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He made the remarks on Monday as chief guest at a World Head and Neck Cancer Day 2026 event at the National Institute of Ear, Nose and Throat in Tejgaon, Dhaka.

The observance, marked in 171 countries, carried the theme, “Speak Out, Diagnose Early, Save Lives.” The minister said the government was committed to overall development as well as the health system, and that pledges in the BNP election manifesto would be implemented gradually. He also urged journalists to raise public awareness that people who are mute and deaf can recover.

At the event, Hossain inaugurated a newly built Auditory Verbal Therapy Centre. Children who have lost hearing from birth or later and receive costly cochlear implantation surgery with Social Welfare Ministry support will be taught to speak naturally through therapy at the centre, which is run under the Health Ministry. The minister said he planned to expand such centres to divisional level. He later distributed grant cheques and devices to patients with head and neck-related illnesses.

A government hospital in Hatía, an island upazila of Noakhali, administered anti-snake venom for the first time and saved an eight-year-old child bitten by a venomous snake. The child, Rahat, son of Firoz Uddin from Ward 7 of Sonadia Union, was bitten at about 7pm on 26 July while going to Maghrib prayers. He was admitted to Hatía Upazila Health Complex around midnight after his condition did not improve.

Medical Officer Dr Rabiul Hossain Niloy said examinations identified multiple signs of venomous snakebite, including broken neck sign, ptosis and unconsciousness. A 20-minute clot observation test confirmed envenomation. The medical team consulted the upazila health and family planning officer and the resident medical officer before administering antivenom with the father’s consent.

Firoz Uddin said he had initially sought help from local traditional healers but saw no improvement, and that his son is now substantially better after treatment. Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Manoshi Rani Sarkar called it the first antivenom administration in the health complex’s history and said staff involved performed their duties sincerely. She said instructions were issued to continue such emergency care more efficiently in the future.

Ad-din Medical College Hospital in Maghbazar, Dhaka, has regained its licence. The Health Services Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a letter on Monday that it had withdrawn the order cancelling the hospital’s licence and allowed it to resume operations.

The reported letter authorises the hospital to operate again following the withdrawal of the cancellation order. The source does not provide the reason for the original cancellation, the duration of any suspension, or details about the hospital’s operations during that period.

The report was published on 27 July 2026 at 17:27 and said further details were forthcoming. Based on the ministry’s letter, the hospital has received permission to restart its activities.

Bablu, a 30-year-old fisherman and father of two, died in Daulatkhan, Bhola, nine days after being bitten by a venomous snake. He was the son of the late Ahmad Ali from Ward No. 7 of Syedpur Union. The report, published on July 27, 2026, said he died at his home on Sunday evening after his family brought him back from treatment because of financial hardship.

Family members and local residents said Bablu was bitten while returning home after fishing in the Meghna River on Saturday night. Locals first took him to Daulatkhan উপজেলা Health Complex, where the attending doctor referred him to Bhola Sadar Hospital for advanced treatment. As his condition worsened, he was taken to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital and later to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Bablu's wife, Surma Begum, said doctors told the family that snake venom had severely affected his leg and kidneys. She said long-term treatment and regular tests would require about Tk 300,000, while anemia had further increased medical costs. Unable to continue treatment because of a lack of money, the family brought him home two days before his death.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain made surprise visits to three health facilities in Satkhira on July 26, inspecting medical services, cleanliness and staff attendance. Two doctors were dismissed over allegations of prolonged absence from duty without leave, while a night guard was dismissed over a theft incident. The sites visited were Satkhira Medical College Hospital, Satkhira Sadar Hospital and Tala উপজেলা Health Complex.

At Tala উপজেলা Health Complex, Dr. Tonni was dismissed over allegations of being absent from the workplace for a long period without leave. A night guard there was also dismissed in connection with a theft incident. At Satkhira Medical College Hospital, the minister visited the kitchen, washrooms and wards and spoke with admitted patients. Dr. Sohana Selim was dismissed over allegations of being absent without leave for more than a month.

The minister said the country has too few doctors relative to patients and alleged that insufficient recruitment over the past 17 years created staffing shortages. He described Satkhira’s overall medical services as satisfactory and issued guidance on service quality at Satkhira Sadar Hospital. He also announced initiatives to upgrade 50-bed hospitals to 100 beds, install 50 dialysis machines at each district and medical college hospital, and begin distributing health cards nationwide soon.

Bangladesh recorded three dengue deaths and 458 hospital admissions in the 24 hours from 8am Saturday to 8am Sunday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. The Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room released the figures on Sunday. On the previous day, one person died and 439 dengue patients were admitted to hospital.

In the first 26 days of July, dengue infections reached 6,994 and deaths totaled 25. Barishal division, outside city corporation areas, reported 99 admissions in the latest reporting period. Dhaka North City Corporation recorded 81 admissions, Chattogram division 78, and Dhaka South City Corporation 76. A further 438 dengue patients were discharged from hospitals during the same 24 hours.

Since January, the health directorate has recorded 13,098 dengue cases and 43 deaths nationwide. Dhaka division has reported the highest number of deaths, at 20. Barishal division has the highest number of infections, with 2,820 cases. Men account for 61.5 percent of all reported infections, while women account for 38.5 percent.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has worsened, with deaths rising to 1,354, according to a report published on July 26, 2026. Deaths increased by nearly 40 percent in the previous five days. The latest government data put the combined total of infections and deaths at 3,075, up 27 percent from the previous week.

Experts warned that the virus is spreading through the country “like wildfire.” Al Jazeera described the rise in infections and deaths as unprecedented and said it is Congo’s fastest-moving Ebola outbreak to date. Health expert Abdul Sami Nasidi said the lack of an effective vaccine is the main reason for the rapid spread.

Control efforts have become more difficult in conflict-affected areas, where even minimal health infrastructure has not remained, Nasidi said. The circulating Bundibugyo variant is one of four rare Ebola variants and has no approved vaccine. Oxford University’s Oxford Vaccine Group said it has rapidly developed a vaccine and has administered it experimentally to one volunteer.

Two icddr,b studies have reported the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in hospital intensive care units and a mortality rate above 90 percent among patients whose infection was confirmed by culture tests. The findings were released in a news statement on July 25, 2026. Researchers analysed 373 critically ill adults admitted to an ICU at a specialised government hospital in Dhaka between July 2023 and February 2024.

The study found difficult-to-treat resistant gram-negative bacteria in the intestines of 48.5 percent of ICU patients. Of 198 patients who did not carry the bacteria at admission, 105, or 53 percent, became infected while in the ICU. Researchers said this indicates in-hospital spread of drug-resistant organisms. Limited ICU facilities, patient overcrowding and risks of hospital-associated infections may have contributed to the unusually high mortality.

A second study by the same team found improved results after infection-control measures were strengthened in a Dhaka neonatal ICU. Staff training, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning and waste management reduced bloodstream infections by 86 percent over seven months. Deaths per 100 admitted newborns fell from 26 to four. The researchers urged stronger infection prevention, cleanliness, surveillance and responsible antibiotic use.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said the health system had been collapsing under the previous government because of widespread irregularities, corruption and looting of funds. He made the remarks on Saturday after an unannounced inspection of the 50-bed উপজেলা Health Complex in Morelganj, Bagerhat, at 11 a.m. He said the current government was working to improve care quality and ensure transparency and accountability.

During the visit, the minister toured several hospital departments and expressed anger after observing shortcomings. He said poor people do not receive medicines while medicines worth lakhs of taka had expired at the hospital. Government medicines were also found scattered in bathrooms, according to the report. At the site, he issued necessary instructions to the civil surgeon, DDC and other relevant officials over the irregularities.

The minister said the 50-bed hospital had been upgraded to 101 beds to bring health services closer to people, and urgent measures would be taken to improve services. He said tender-related activities for the 101-bed Morelganj health complex would begin within a few days. He also visited a nearby private clinic. District and local administration officials, police, health officials and the local health and family planning officer attended the inspection.

Jagannath University’s medical center is currently relying on one doctor to provide healthcare services for about 18,000 students, according to a report published on July 25, 2026. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mita Shabnam is the sole physician after another doctor left and no replacement was appointed. The center also faces limited medicine supplies, staff shortages and only one ambulance, leaving students facing difficulties in obtaining treatment.

The medical center serves an average of 400 to 500 students daily. Dr. Shabnam works with two technical officers, one medical assistant and two MLSS staff members. Students said they often wait for hours, cannot always obtain needed medicines and lack access to necessary tests or treatment. One student also said the center is closed after 4 p.m., even when emergency care may be needed.

Dr. Shabnam said about 40 types of medicines and medical supplies are used for primary treatment, while seriously ill patients are sent to outside hospitals. University authorities said they have written to the University Grants Commission seeking approval for new positions, as hiring without approval would make salary funding impossible. Student representatives also cited plans for a modern medical laboratory and another ambulance.

Medical and public health specialists have advised people not to take antibiotics on their own when they develop a fever as dengue cases rise across Bangladesh. In a report published on July 25, they said ordinary fever should be treated only with paracetamol-type medicines. Headache, body and joint pain, and rash alongside fever may indicate dengue, and aspirin-type drugs should also be avoided in such cases.

The health directorate has identified 59 wards in Dhaka’s two city corporations as high-risk dengue areas. By July 23, dengue had caused 39 deaths nationwide and infected 12,020 people, while 10,911 patients had been discharged from hospital this year. Specialists stressed that people should seek testing and consult a doctor promptly when symptoms appear rather than becoming alarmed.

Doctors advised against buying medicines without a prescription. They said destroying Aedes mosquito breeding sites, removing standing clean water and preventing mosquito bites are key to dengue control. IEDCR said the Den-3 serotype is increasing the tendency for rapid complications such as dengue shock syndrome, which can quickly worsen a patient’s condition.

Specialist doctors have advised President Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu to undergo advanced treatment and take complete rest, according to responsible sources at Bangabhaban cited by Amar Desh. The president underwent physical examinations twice in recent days. CT scan and MRI reports identified neurological problems alongside heart-related issues. He again sought medical care after recently experiencing further physical problems.

Sources said Shahabuddin had already been suffering from heart disease and underwent bypass surgery in Singapore. He later had medical checkups in the United Kingdom after weakness and increased waist and back pain. On Thursday, he came to his office at Bangabhaban, signed four files and exchanged greetings with officials and staff. Bangabhaban employees said he has decided to resign from the presidency after considering doctors’ advice and discussing the matter with family members and close associates.

Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr. A Z M Zahid Hossain has emphasized the need to establish high-quality medical education institutions in Bangladesh. Speaking at a memorial meeting for Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Kuddus, held at Shaheed Dr. Milon Hall of Bangladesh Medical University in Shahbagh, Dhaka, he said that the country must produce not only competent doctors but also skilled nurses, technologists, and professionals across all health service sectors.

The event was chaired by Professor Dr. Md. Saiful Islam, Chairman of the Urology Department, and attended by Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain, the university’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. F. M. Siddiqui, and several senior medical professionals. Zahid Hossain noted that patients from across the country come to the university hospital with high expectations and called for transforming it into a center of excellence that can serve as a national pride.

Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain highlighted the importance of preserving the spirit of the Liberation War among the younger generation, warning that losing this consciousness would erode the true values of independence.

The National Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (NINMAS) at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) inaugurated a new research cell and a modern library to enhance research and diagnostic services. The inauguration took place on Tuesday at the D Block of the BMU campus, followed by a gathering of current and former professors, doctors, scientists, resident students, and staff at the Dr. Kamaluddin Ahmed Auditorium.

Speakers at the event highlighted the importance of nuclear medicine as a unique integration of science, healthcare, and human welfare. They noted that under the leadership of NINMAS Director Professor Dr. A. K. M. Fazlul Bari, the institute has expanded its research and service capacity. The newly established research cell, upgraded digital library, and reorganized Nuclear Café are part of this initiative. The modernized library was named after Professor Dr. M. A. Karim in recognition of his pioneering contributions to nuclear medicine in Bangladesh.

A documentary on NINMAS activities was screened, and scientific papers were presented by faculty members. Participants praised the institute’s efforts to foster a research-friendly environment and improve healthcare services.

At the National Cancer Research Institute and Hospital in Dhaka, cancer patients are waiting up to one and a half years for radiotherapy due to severe equipment shortages and overwhelming patient demand. Many, like Aleya Begum from Tangail and Mokbul Khan from Cumilla, have been given treatment dates months away, raising fears that delays could worsen their conditions. The hospital charges around 12,000 to 15,000 taka for a radiotherapy course, while private hospitals cost nearly 200,000 taka, making private care unaffordable for most.

Out of eight radiotherapy machines, only two are currently operational, one of which frequently breaks down. More than half of the hospital’s diagnostic equipment, including CT scan, MRI, and mammography machines, is out of order. Patients also face shortages of basic medical supplies and long waits for chemotherapy and diagnostic tests. Many are forced to sleep in corridors and courtyards due to a lack of beds.

Hospital authorities acknowledge the crisis, citing outdated machines and excessive patient load. They plan to introduce three-shift radiotherapy services and are coordinating with the health ministry to address equipment and staffing shortages.