From now on, the general public, along with the officials/employees of the Ministry of Railways and Bangladesh Railways, will be able to receive medical services in hospitals managed by Bangladesh Railways.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Railways and the Health Services Department in this regard at the conference room of the Ministry of Health at the Secretariat on Monday (April 21).

Secretary of the Ministry of Railways Md. Fahimul Islam and Secretary of the Health Services Department Md. Saidur Rahman signed the memorandum of understanding on behalf of their respective departments.

As per the terms of the memorandum of understanding, the hospitals managed by Bangladesh Railways will open medical facilities for the general public, officials/employees working in Bangladesh Railways, railway employees and railway passengers, and jointly provide medical services with the Health Services Department. According to this Memorandum of Understanding, all the medical facilities of the Ministry of Railways, Bangladesh Railway officials and employees, railway employees and passengers will remain as before.

It is to be noted that there is a constant rush of patients in hospitals under the Health Services Department in various cities of the country including Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi. On the other hand, the presence of patients in hospitals managed by the Railways is negligible. In such a situation, if the Railway Hospitals are operated under the joint management of the Ministry of Railways and the Health Services Department for the purpose of providing services to the general public, a larger number of people will be able to receive health services comfortably.

All the movable and immovable properties of Bangladesh Railway Hospitals will be used/managed under the management of a central committee jointly formed by the Health Services Department and the Ministry of Railways as per the terms of this Memorandum of Understanding. The administrative and organizational activities of the manpower recruited under the existing manpower structure will remain in force under Bangladesh Railway as before.

The Health Services Department will take stock of all the movable assets of the hospital as per the list prepared by the Inventory Committee comprising representatives of the Health Services Department and the Ministry of Railways and will make recommendations regarding their maintenance, repair, alteration, enlargement, addition and disposal.

Since there is no specialist doctor post in the existing manpower structure of the Railway Hospital, the Health Services Department will take necessary steps to appoint specialist doctors to ensure improved medical care.

After the commencement of the activities of the Railway Hospital under the Memorandum of Understanding, the management of the money collected as service fees will be as per the rules and regulations applicable to government hospitals.

For the overall management of the hospitals, there will be a central management committee headed by the Secretary, the Ministry of Railways and representatives of the Health Services Department and other concerned members, and there will be separate local joint management committees for each hospital. The composition and scope of work of this management committee will be determined by the government through an order.

Advisor Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and Ministry of Railways; Advisor Nurjahan Begum, (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) and Professor Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant (State Minister rank), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Railways, senior officials of Bangladesh Railways and Health Services Department were present at the event.