Health & Food

Minister sets out plans for rural breast-cancer screening

The government plans to extend breast-cancer screening to rural communities, the health minister said in Dhaka on 18 October. He outlined improvements to staffing, training and infrastructure, and urged doctors to spend two or three days a year in their villages raising awareness of health issues.

Bengal Brief · 19 October 2026 · 1 min read

From 19 October 2026 — Daily Brief

19 OCT 2026 · 18/25

The government is preparing initiatives to extend breast-cancer screening to women at grassroots level, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said at an awareness event in Dhaka on Sunday, 18 October.

Speaking at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, he linked earlier detection with wider public awareness and better access to healthcare outside major cities.

The minister said improving health infrastructure, recruiting doctors and midwives, and strengthening training would form part of efforts to improve services. He also urged doctors to spend two or three days a year in their home villages discussing health issues with residents, including breast cancer.

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Health & Food

Seven more deaths with measles symptoms; confirmed toll unchanged

Seven children died with measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours to Friday morning, all classified as suspected cases. The combined suspected and confirmed death total reached 1,214, including 104 confirmed deaths. DGHS also reported 1,110 new suspected infections and 25 laboratory-confirmed cases.

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Health & Food

Dengue kills three more as hospitals admit 1,299 patients

Bangladesh reported three dengue deaths and 1,299 hospital admissions in the 24 hours to Friday morning. The annual reported toll reached 371, with 119,801 admissions. More than 6,000 patients remained in hospital, while the latest deaths were reported in Chattogram and Mymensingh divisions.

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Health & Food

Rajshahi medical interns withdraw strike and plan Friday return

Intern doctors at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital withdrew their strike on 22 October after talks with management and said they would return on Friday morning. Their demands concern medicines, equipment, security and access to wards. The doctors said they expected the administration’s assurances to be implemented.

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Health & Food

Electrical fire disrupts treatment and power at Rangpur medical hospital

An electrical fire disrupted power and treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital on 22 October. Patients and relatives fled wards in panic during hours of outages. Hospital officials reported power restoration around noon, while an evening report said some wards still lacked an uninterrupted supply.

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Health & Food

Two suspected measles deaths; confirmed death toll remains at 104

Two people died with measles symptoms in the 24 hours ending at 8am on 22 October. The DGHS has recorded 1,103 suspected measles deaths and 104 laboratory-confirmed deaths since 15 March. The latest bulletin reported 995 suspected cases and 36 confirmed cases; no new confirmed measles death was recorded.

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Health & Food

Four dengue deaths as Bangladesh records 1,512 hospital admissions

Bangladesh reported four dengue deaths and 1,512 hospital admissions in the 24 hours ending at 8am on 22 October. The annual death toll reached 368, while 6,023 patients remained in hospital. The DGHS bulletin also recorded 1,455 discharges during the same period, taking this year’s total discharges to 112,111.

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