Dhaka: The government has decided to integrate three hospitals run by Bangladesh Railway, located in Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Syedpur, under a joint management system involving health services and Bangladesh Railway. This was confirmed in an official statement following a tripartite meeting of the Health Services Division, Railways Ministry, and Finance Division, held at the Kamalapur Railway Rest House.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the decision aligns with a prior agreement between the Railways Ministry and the health services of the Health Ministry made in April. Subsequently, a central managing committee was established to oversee this integration. The recent meeting was initiated by the committee to ensure effective health services in the railway-operated hospitals.
Participants in the meeting included Finance Division Secretary Dr. Md Khairuzzaman Majumder, Health Services Division Secretary M Saidur Rahman, Railways Ministry Secretary Md Fahimul Islam, and Bangladesh Railway's Director General Md Afzal Hossain, along with other senior officials. Previously, under a similar government decision, Chattogram Railway Hospital and the Chest Disease Hospital in the port city were merged under joint management, now known as Chattogram Railway General Hospital.
The meeting also resolved to implement a 100-day special program to delineate the roles of the three departments for the efficient management of the hospitals under the new joint framework. According to the statement, plans are underway to gradually bring other railway-run hospitals under joint management.
The integration will allow railway employees, their families, and the general public to access healthcare services at these facilities. Following the meeting, attendees visited Kamalapur Railway Station and Dhaka Railway Hospital to assess current operations and plan the integration process.