Health State Minister Dr MA Muhit has ordered the authorities to take immediate steps to make the Health Management Institute in Savar operational, expressing strong dissatisfaction over its newly constructed buildings remaining unused for four years.

The state minister made the remarks while speaking to reporters after inspecting the Health Management Institute in Savar and later the Savar Upazila health Complex on Saturday.

During the inspection, the state minister expressed dissatisfaction over the institute’s current condition.

“These impressive buildings were constructed with public money in 2022. Yet, four years have passed and they are still not being used for any purpose. I have seen clear signs of corruption, mismanagement and negligence here,” he said.

“I have inspected the matter on the ground, and we will take the necessary steps very soon,” he added.

Dr Muhit said the Health Management Institute in Savar would not serve only local people but would also contribute to improving the overall quality of the government healthcare system across the country.

Civil surgeons from all 64 districts, divisional health officials and doctors responsible for upazila health complexes would receive training at the institute, he said.

The state minister further said the health managers would be brought under specialised training programmes to improve the quality of healthcare services at the upazila level.

He said the government had taken an initiative to construct modern 150-bed hospitals in 500 upazilas across the country.

“Building infrastructure alone will not be enough. People will not receive the services they deserve unless proper management and good governance are ensured,” he said.

For this reason, doctors involved in health administration from the grassroots to the district level would gradually receive modern training in health management, he said.

The state minister said ensuring good governance in the health sector was the government’s main objective.

“The government is working with the goal of building a healthy Bangladesh by improving the quality of healthcare services at the grassroots level,” he added.