Diabetic patients to get free insulin at community clinics: PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday announced that the government will provide free insulin to the diabetic patients of the country through community clinics.

"We have decided that we will include insulin in the list of free medicines of the community clinics across the country for the diabetic patients," she said while addressing graduates of Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital and Nursing College.

Currently, the government is providing 30 types of medicines free of cost through the community clinics.

"We will give away insulin free of cost so that the diabetic patients could get relief," she added.

The prime minister called upon the country's youth to get nursing education and training to provide nursing services on a large scale.
Hasina, also the chair of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust, disclosed that it will establish a medical college alongside this hospital and nursing college.

Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital and Nursing College, named after Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib, was established by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust.

She said the government has always regarded nursing as a dignified profession and provided priority for its development.

She said Bangabandhu established related institutes and took various steps to increase the dignity of nursing profession, development of nursing services and technology.

Following the footsteps of Bangabandhu the government has upgraded the nursing profession to second class service, having appointed 38,000 nurses during her tenures from 1996 till now.

She praised the role of nurses in people's services along with doctors during the Covid-19 pandemic and said it will be remembered forever.

She said there is huge demand for nurses in different countries across the world as well as in Bangladesh and many could avail the jobs abroad through learning the languages of the host countries.

The PM, however, said the requirement of the country has to be met before sending nurses abroad.

She briefly highlighted different initiatives of her government for the development of the health and nursing sectors.

As part of the initiatives of Awami League government, she said, the old 23 nursing institutes have been upgraded to Nursing Colleges where 4-year BSc in Nursing courses and Post Basic courses are being conducted.

"Besides, another 16 nursing institutes are in the process of being upgraded to nursing colleges," she said.

Currently, 69 nursing and midwifery institutes are running Diploma, BSc Basic and Post Basic as well as Masters courses at the government level. The National Institute of Advanced Nursing Education and Research (NIENER) for higher education and research in the field of nursing has been established.

Besides, the Awami League government has established 23 new medical colleges in the last 14 years. It has plans to establish medical universities in each division and has already set up medical universities in four divisions.

KPJ Healthcare Berhad president Norhaizam Binti Mohammad was the speaker of the graduation ceremony.

The PM also handed over certificates among 210 nurses and the prime minister's award among six graduating nurses for their outstanding results in their respective sessions.

She also inaugurated theWebsite, Hospital Management Software and Medical Journal of the hospital.