Minister Dr Zahid provides treatment to poor patients during Dinajpur visit

Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain today provided free medical services to poor and underprivileged patients during a visit to his constituency in Dinajpur.

The minister arrived at Saidpur airport from Dhaka around 12 noon and later travelled by road to his village home at Motihara under Nawabganj upazila in Dinajpur.

After offering Jummah prayer or Friday, he began attending patients who had gathered at his residence seeking treatment. He personally provided prescriptions, medicines and necessary medical advice to the distressed people.

Local resident Ahmed Ali expressed gratitude, saying that despite his busy schedule, the minister came to his village and provided treatment to locals . He said the minister also gave him a wheelchair to assist his movement and prayed for his sound health and long life.

Elderly women Sahera Begum and Rafiza Bewa also received treatment and medicines from the minister and thanked him for the initiative.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Zahid said he always tries to stand beside the people of his constituency. "Alongside discharging my government responsibilities, I feel morally obliged to extend medical support to the underprivileged," he said adding ensuring healthcare services for disadvantaged people is a moral duty.

The minister said the government is working for the welfare of the people and has undertaken various programmes through the relevant ministries to improve the lives of the poor, helpless, women and children.

This continuity of welfare activities will continue in future, he said.

He added that later in the afternoon he would hold a meeting with officials at the Nawabganj Upazila Parishad to discuss development projects under his constituency, which comprises four upazilas, three municipalities and 23 union parishads.

Dr Zahid expressed hope that visible development activities, particularly in the communication sector, would begin in the area within the next one year following the meeting.

He also said that the first phase of the "Family Card" distribution programme, announced by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, would formally be launched before the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.

The Prime Minister is expected to inaugurate the humanitarian programme, he added.

Local BNP leaders, eminent persons and residents were present on the occasion. Locals welcomed the minister's humanitarian initiative.