A day after a surprise inspection by the Health Minister exposed severe irregularities of top health officials descended on Morelganj Upazila Hospital in Bagerhat on Sunday to address a massive stockpile of abandoned with expired medicines.
Khulna Divisional Director of Health, Dr. Sheikh Md. Mosharraf Hossain arrived at the hospital at noon. He directed the Bagerhat Civil Surgeon to safely dispose of 30 types of expired drugs valued at approximately Tk 29 lakh that had been dumped in an abandoned building on the premises and to submit a full report to the Health Ministry.
Dr. Hossain also ordered a formal inquiry, requiring former officials to explain why the expired medications were not removed on time.
The swift action follows an unannounced visit on Saturday morning by Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain, who discovered the abandoned stockpile and immediately instructed the Divisional Director to intervene. During Sunday's follow-up visit, Dr. Hossain also spoke directly with admitted patients to assess food quality and the standard of medical care.
Beyond the medicine scandal, the hospital is grappling with a crippling manpower crisis that severely impacts local healthcare. Designed to serve 500,000 residents of Morelganj Upazila, the 51-bed hospital has 51 sanctioned positions for doctors. However, only 17 posts are officially filled. With 10 of those doctors currently on deputation to other areas, the entire facility is being kept afloat by just seven doctors.
Local health officials including Bagerhat Civil Surgeon Dr. Md. Mahbubur Rahman and Upazila Health Officer Dr. Kamal Hossain Mufti were present during the inspection.
