Govt plans floating hospital project 'Swasthya Tari' for remote coastal, char areas
Staff Correspondent
State Minister for Health Dr. M A Muhit announced that the government is initiating a project to construct and deploy specialized floating hospitals, named "Swasthya Tari," to deliver modern healthcare services to underprivileged populations living in remote coastal islands and char areas.
State Minister Dr. M A Muhit disclosed the initiative following a joint field inspection of potential floating hospital vessels near the Babubazar Bridge in the capital on Friday afternoon.
He was accompanied by State Minister for Shipping Rajib Ahsan. The two state ministers inspected the vessel structures and evaluated operational feasibility for offshore medical logistics.
Talking to journalists, State Minister Dr. M A Muhit stated that the joint collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Shipping aims to reach 30 to 40 remote upazilas across four to five southern districts.
He highlighted that the initiative will primarily target remote riverine and coastal zones across Barishal, Noakhali, Bhola, Patuakhali, and Barguna districts. Newly appointed Secretary of the Health Services Division Dr. A N M Bazlur Rashid, Secretary of the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division A K M Benjamin Riazi, and senior officials from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) were also present during the inspection.
