The minister who called a six-month wait for cancer care 'very painful' — then bought 17 machines

Bangladesh will buy 17 linear accelerator radiotherapy machines this fiscal year and spread them beyond Dhaka to hospitals across the country, after the health minister called the current six-to-seven-month wait for cancer radiotherapy 'very painful.' Five robotic surgery machines are also planned for complex procedures at major hospitals. 'We have cancer specialists and manpower. Where nurses and other personnel are needed, we will provide them as well,' said Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain.