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Published : 25 Jun 2026, 02:56 PM
A total of 880 X-ray and ultrasound machines have remained out of service at Upazila health complexes across Bangladesh, according to information placed before parliament.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare disclosed the figures on Thursday in a written reply from Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain to a question raised during the parliamentary question-and-answer session presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.
The minister said around 485 X-ray machines at 310 hospitals and about 395 ultrasound machines at 252 hospitals are currently unusable.
The information came in response to a question from Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shahjahan Chowdhury of Chattogram-15, who sought details on shortages of doctors, nurses and medicines at Upazila health facilities, the number of faulty diagnostic machines and the main reasons rural patients are referred to urban hospitals.
According to the minister's reply, nearly 40 percent of the defective X-ray machines are beyond repair.
Tenders have already been floated to fix the remaining 60 percent.
For ultrasound equipment, about 35 percent are considered irreparable, while the remaining 65 percent can be repaired and have also been included in tender processes.
Although the MP sought specific information on shortages of doctors, nurses and medicines, no numerical data was provided.
Sakhawat said filling vacancies for physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers at Upazila health complexes is an ongoing process, with staffing gaps varying across facilities.
On medicine supplies, he said a centrally managed demand-based procurement and distribution system is in place, though temporary shortages may arise at some facilities because of local demand, supply management issues and patient pressure.
The minister's reply also did not provide a specific explanation for why rural patients are frequently referred to hospitals in cities.
