In a significant development aimed at improving public healthcare access, the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to jointly operate ten hospitals under the management of Bangladesh Railway. The agreement was formalized at a ceremony held in the conference room of the Ministry of Health at the Secretariat.

The MoU was signed by Md. Fahimul Islam, Secretary of the Ministry of Railways, and Md. Saidur Rahman, Secretary of the Health Services Division, on behalf of their respective ministries. The initiative aims to transform Bangladesh Railway-managed hospitals into joint service providers, offering medical care not only to railway staff and passengers but also to the general population.

Under the provisions of the agreement, existing healthcare benefits for employees of Bangladesh Railway, their dependents, and passengers will remain unchanged. These facilities will now be expanded to include general public access, facilitated through collaboration with the Health Services Division.

An inventory committee, consisting of representatives from both the Ministry of Railways and the Health Services Division, will prepare a list of all movable assets currently under the railway hospitals. The Health Services Division will take over responsibility for these assets and will make recommendations regarding their maintenance, repair, replacement, addition, or removal as required.

One of the key concerns addressed in the MoU is the lack of specialist medical personnel in the current workforce structure of the railway hospitals. To ensure advanced medical services, the Health Services Division will take necessary steps to appoint specialist doctors as needed.

Following the commencement of joint operations under this MoU, any service fees collected at these hospitals will be managed in accordance with the regulations applicable to government hospitals.

To oversee the operations, a central management committee will be established, led by the Secretary of the Ministry of Railways and including representatives from the Health Services Division and other relevant stakeholders. Additionally, each hospital will have its own local joint management committee. The formation and responsibilities of both central and local committees will be determined by formal government orders.

The MoU signing event was attended by several dignitaries, including Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, Advisor to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, and Ministry of Railways; Noorjahan Begum, Advisor to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; and Professor Dr. Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the rank of State Minister.

This initiative represents a progressive step toward inclusive healthcare, as it opens the doors of railway hospitals to a broader segment of society while maintaining support for railway personnel and their families. It also strengthens inter-ministerial cooperation in optimizing public resources for better healthcare service delivery.