Dhaka: Social Welfare Minister Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain today announced that no helpless or underprivileged person would be deprived of medical treatment due to financial constraints during the tenure of the BNP government. The minister’s remarks came as he addressed a programme as the chief guest on the occasion of World Head and Neck Cancer Day 2026 at the National Institute of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) in Tejgaon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the theme for this year’s event was “Speak Up, Detect Early, Save Lives.” The minister emphasized that individuals with speech and hearing impairments could recover through appropriate treatment. He urged journalists to actively raise public awareness about head and neck diseases.
Earlier in the day, Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain inaugurated the hospital’s new Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) Centre. This facility aims to provide costly cochlear implant surgeries for children born with hearing impairments or who lose their hearing, with support from the Ministry of Social Welfare. Post-surgery, these children will receive therapy at the AVT Centre, which is operated under the Ministry of Health, to aid in developing normal speech and communication skills.
The minister also shared the government’s plans to expand AVT centres to divisional levels across the country. Following the programme, he distributed financial assistance cheques and assistive devices to patients suffering from various head and neck diseases.
Notable figures such as former principal of Mymensingh Medical College Prof Dr Md Monwar Hossain, Principal of Dhaka Medical College Prof. Dr. Mazharul Shaheen, and President of the Bangladesh Society for Head and Neck Surgeons Prof. Dr. Md. Abdus Sattar attended as special guests, with Director of the National Institute of Ear, Nose and Throat Prof. Dr. Md. Hasan Zafar presiding over the event.