DHAKA, Dec 7, 2023 (BSS) - Health Minister Zahid Maleque today said the government has introduced emergency healthcare services for 24 hours at 500 public healthcare certres to reduce child and maternal mortality rate in the country.
 
"We will introduce emergency healthcare services at 400 health centres more in phases," he told a discussion at the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall here, an official release said today. 

 Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Prof. Dr. Md. Sharfuddin Ahmed, Director General of the Directorate General of Medical Education Professor Dr Tito Mia and senior officials of different relevant healthcare organizations, among others, addressed the discussion.
 
Maleque said, "In Bangladesh, 65,000 children and 4,500 mothers die every year. Maternal mortality rate will be reduced by 70 percent by 2030 while children mortality rate will be cut by half during the same period." 

He laid emphasis on stopping early marriage, encouraging institutional delivery and introduction of emergency healthcare services for round the clock to achieve the target of reducing child maternal mortality rate.