Staff Correspondent
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced on Friday that 10,000 new nurses would be recruited soon to upgrade the standard of service of the public hospitals and health care centres.
"We have already appointed 7,000 nurses in various positions that has brought a qualitative changes in hospital services," she said while addressing as the chief guest at the 4th national Conference of Swadhinata Chikitsok Parisad (Swachip), a pro-Awami League doctors' forum, at Suharawardy Uddyan.
The Prime Minister called upon the physicians to render their sincere and dedicated services to send the Medicare services to the door steps of the common people so that people could derive the fruits of various peoples' welfare oriented health programmes of the government.
Terming the physicians as the most vital part of the people's health service initiated by the present government, she said doctors can play a pivotal role to ensure access of the poor, especially under extreme poverty to medicare services.
"Rise above petty personal interest and self-aggrandizement and dedicate yourself to the betterment of the distressed souls as you are in a noble profession", the Prime Minister said adding, "approach of a doctor
is very important to a person who comes to him/her for better treatment, and a patients feel confidence of recovering from illness if they get good approach from a doctor."  
Asking them to give attention to their patients,
Sheikh Hasina said one of the important goals of her government's economic development is
to reach the healthcare services to the door step of the common people. "So doctors have to render service so that extreme poor are not deprived of their good services," she said.
Health Minister Mohamamd Nasim, Awami League Presidium Member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim,
General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Syed Ashraful Islam, Prime Minister's former
advisor Prof. Modasser Ali, state minister for health Zahid Malek attended the function as special guests.
With president of Swachip Professor Dr Ruhal Haq in the chair, Secretary General Prof Dr M Iqbal Arslan presented the report of the organization.
In a colourful and rejoicing environment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the conference by releasing pigeons and balloons. Founder secretary general of Swachip Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, health affairs secretary of Awami League Dr Bodiuzzaman Bhuiyan, co-chairmen of the conference preparatory committee Prof. M Moniruzzaman Bhuiyan and Prof. Kanak Kanti Barua and Secretary General Dr Ihteshamul Haque Chowdhury, among others, spoke on the occasion.
The council of Swachip is being held after a long lapse of 12 years to choose its new executives. The Prime Minister asked the organizers to elect dedicated person as their new leaders.
Recalling the role and sacrifice of doctors in the war of liberation and democratic movements the Prime Minister said many eminent doctors embraced martyrdom for country's independence. Doctors were always in the forefront of all democratic movements, she said.
Sheikh Hasina thanked the leaders of Swachip for making the organization as a strong forum of the doctors and said the unity of the doctors would supplement the government's efforts to reach health services to the people.
Highlighting the steps taken by her government for development of medicare system and medical education and research in the country the prime minister said the country needs more research on medical science.
Among other, she said the Awami League government established Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), first medical university in the country, for research on medical science.
Amid tumultuous applauses she declared that two more medical universities one in Chittagong and the other in Rajshahi would also be established for research.
She also outlined her government's plan to set up a national burns and plastic surgery institute to treat the burn patients. She also called upon the people, especially the doctors to look after the children with autism with human approaches.
Turning to the country's political situation, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has experiences in combating natural disasters. However, turning to the man-made disasters, she said that those people who never wanted nation's independence, and those people who had done nothing for development of the people while they were in power, are carrying out the subversive designs to tarnish the country's image," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said in the name of political movement BNP and Jamaat have been resorting to killing, arson and subversive activities since 2013. "They have started secret killing and now killing foreigners as they had failed to overthrow the government by killing local people, " she said.
The prime minister urged the countrymen at all level to remain united against the offenders who are involved in these types of heinous killings and terrorist acts. She said
The venue of the Suhrawardhy Uddan was tastefully decorated with placards, festoons , big portraits' of Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina and various slogans of the organization dedicated to the welfare of the distressed community in connection with holding this much-awaited council session of the Swachip.