Staff Correspondent

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. M A Muhit announced on Thursday that various government ministries have undertaken a major coordinated initiative to ensure the long-term rehabilitation, medical care, and equal rights of persons with disabilities and special needs across the country.

Under the new plans, separate medical and personal files will be opened for every disabled citizen, 500 upazila health centers and educational institutions will be made fully accessible, and upcoming electric buses will be equipped with wheelchair facilities.

The state minister shared these details with journalists following the second follow-up meeting of the Committee for Ensuring Rights and Services for Persons with Disabilities, held at the health ministry’s conference room on Thursday afternoon.

Dr. Muhit explained that the individual files opened for special needs individuals during field-level identification drives will meticulously document their specific requirements. This data will be utilized by the Ministry of Social Welfare and other relevant departments to arrange systematic employment, rehabilitation, and legal rights. He highlighted the success of the "Shishu Sworgo" pilot project, a healthcare program currently catering to around 1,000 disabled children in Dhaka’s Korail slum, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister’s wife, Dr. Zubaida Rahman.

The government plans to expand this initiative to 20–25 upazilas across the country in the current fiscal year to ensure early detection, referral, and treatment at the grassroots level.

In terms of infrastructural accessibility, the government has made disability-inclusive designs mandatory for all new public buildings. Consequently, 500 newly built upazila health complexes, union health centers, and educational buildings will feature ramps, elevators, and at least one dedicated accessible washrooms.

To support co-curricular engagement, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is incorporating a dedicated segment for special needs children in the "Notun Kuri Sports" national competition.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Welfare is preparing a sweeping plan to introduce preparatory education for special needs children and provide specialized training to mainstream school teachers to foster a genuinely inclusive learning environment.

State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin Putul emphasized that securing these facilities is not an act of charity, but a fundamental right derived from the state's social contract with its citizens.

The high-level meeting was also attended by Health Secretary Md. Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr. Provat Chandra Biswas, and senior secretaries and representatives from various ministries.