Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) yesterday welcomed the health minister's proposal for one-day weekly holiday instead of two days in all hospitals for providing more services to the patients, reports BSS.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim made the proposal while addressing the members of the Executive Committee of BMA at the Health Ministry.

A detailed discussion was held on the implementation and progress of the Health and Population Sector Programme (HPSP) in the meeting.

The meeting took a proposal for opening an emergency unit for referred patients in every medical college hospital including all specialised hospitals, and such units will be bound to provide all sorts of treatment to the referred patients.

Another proposal was also taken to open day-and-night drug shops inside the medical college hospitals including all specialised hospitals in the country. The meeting also agreed on a proposal to set up restaurants and fast food shops to minimise sufferings of the attendants of patients in this regard.

The meeting also discussed to turn Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University into an ideal seat of higher studies and reviewed the on-going activities in this direction.

The BMA leaders also assured the health minister of providing allout cooperation for the successful implementation of the HPSP.

Health Secretary Syed Alamgir Faruq Chowdhury, noted eye specialist Prof Modasser Ali, BMA President Prof Rashid-e-Mahboob, Secretary General Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Vice-President Dr Badiuzzaman Bhuiyan, Prof Mozammel Hossain and Treasurer Dr Sharfuddin Ahmed and senior officers of the Health Ministry were also present at the meeting.