Princh Mondal Olif, Bagerhat District Correspondent

Bangladesh's Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain expressed strong dissatisfaction after discovering expired government medicines and serious management irregularities during a surprise inspection of the 50-bed Morelganj Upazila Health Complex in Bagerhat on Saturday morning.

During his visit, the Minister toured hospital wards, medicine storage facilities and sanitation areas. He was alarmed to find government medicines scattered inside a hospital bathroom and a large stock of expired medicines in storage.

Addressing journalists after the inspection, the Minister said, "Poor people in our country often struggle to obtain essential medicines, yet government medicines worth lakhs of taka have expired due to negligence. Such mismanagement is unacceptable."

He blamed years of corruption, poor governance and lack of accountability for weakening the country's public healthcare system, adding that the present government is committed to restoring transparency, improving healthcare services and ensuring proper use of public resources.

The Minister also announced that the Morelganj Upazila Health Complex will be upgraded from 50 beds to 101 beds, with the tender process expected to begin soon to expand healthcare services for the growing population.

The inspection was attended by Bagerhat Deputy Commissioner Golam Md. Baten, Superintendent of Police Hasan Md. Naser Rikabdar, Morelganj UNO Md. Habibullah, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Kamal Hossain Mufti, and other senior government and health officials.

The Minister directed the concerned authorities to investigate the matter, ensure accountability for the negligence, and take immediate corrective measures to improve medicine management and healthcare services at the hospital.