Dhaka: Issuing a warning that no negligence to patients to be accepted, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday sharply criticised the physicians who are not available at their work stations at the upazila level.

‘We’re appointing doctors and nurses as required, but it’s regrettable that our doctors don’t stay in upazilas, where it’s supposed to have 10 doctors in one upazila hospital...only one doctor is found in some areas,’ she said, reports the UNB.

The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the Golden Jubilee celebration programme of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College, Barishal through videoconferencing from her official residence Ganobhaban.

The government, she said, has upgraded the 31-bed upazila hospitals to 50-bed ones while 100-bed district hospitals to 250-bed ones.

She said the government is appointing doctors and other supporting staff accordingly.

‘In some places, there’re operation theatres, but no doctor, surgeon, anesthetist and nurse! We’ll set up institutions and those will remain neglected, how come! This cannot be allowed,’ she said.

The Prime Minister also mentioned that the government is setting up medical colleges and institutions as per the demand and this is the responsibility and duty of the doctors to provide service to the people of the country. ‘I hope people will get that service.’

The Prime Minister said the government has taken a number of programmes to take medicare facilities to the doorsteps of people.

About nuclear energy, Hasina said the government has conducted a survey in some islands of the Barishal areas to set up another nuclear power plant. ‘I’ve a plan to establish the next nuclear power plant at an island in this area.’

Hasina said a feasibility study is on to transmit gas through pipeline from Bhola to Barishal where there is crisis of gas. ‘Gas is necessary to build some industries in this area,’ she said.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim and State Minister Dr Zahid Maleque also spoke at the programme.