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Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain Bokul has strongly urged the public not to ignore early warning signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease, emphasizing that timely clinical screening, active lifestyle adjustments, and immediate medical intervention can prevent thousands of premature cardiac fatalities across Bangladesh. The minister delivered the urgent advisory during official discussions commemorating World Heart Day 2026, underscoring the growing prevalence of non-communicable lifestyle illnesses affecting the nation's productive workforce.
Speaking at the observance session, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain Bokul said that no one should dismiss subtle warning indicators such as unexplained chest tightness, shortness of breath, sudden fatigue, irregular palpitations, or persistent pain radiating to the jaw and arms. Minister Bokul noted that late clinical presentations remain a leading cause of preventable heart attack deaths in Bangladesh, urging citizens to seek immediate medical consultation at nearby healthcare complexes rather than mistaking cardiac discomfort for common gastric distress.
Public health cardiologists participating in the seminar highlighted that cardiovascular disease has emerged as the foremost cause of mortality in Bangladesh, accounting for over 27 percent of annual non-communicable deaths. Experts warned of an alarming epidemiological trend wherein young adults in their thirties and forties are increasingly suffering acute myocardial infarctions due to high-stress sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary habits rich in trans-fats and excessive sodium, unmanaged hypertension, and heavy tobacco consumption.
Outlining institutional health sector reforms, the health minister detailed government initiatives aimed at decentralizing specialized cardiac healthcare beyond tertiary hospitals in Dhaka. Minister Bokul affirmed that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is actively expanding cardiac care units (CCUs) and catheterization laboratories across all divisional medical colleges and secondary district hospitals, ensuring that rural and semi-urban patients can access emergency thrombolysis medications and cardiac stabilization without fatal transit delays.
Addressing medical correspondents in Dhaka on Wednesday (September 30), Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain Bokul reaffirmed the government's commitment to preventive healthcare. Outlining policy priorities, Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain Bokul stated, "Preventive public health awareness, routine blood pressure monitoring, regular physical exercise, and strict tobacco avoidance are our strongest shields against cardiovascular mortality, and our ministry is committed to providing affordable cardiac diagnostic facilities in every district." He urged educational institutions and corporate employers to promote wellness and daily physical activity.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/bangladesh/1f1bc89d-9a29-6b90-a22a-24ddcd0cac09