Dhaka, June 25 -- A total of 880 X-ray and ultrasound machines have remained out of service at Upazila health complexes across Bangladesh, according to information placed before parliament.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare disclosed the figures on Thursday in a written reply from Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain to a question raised during the parliamentary question-and-answer session presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.

The minister said around 485 X-ray machines at 310 hospitals and about 395 ultrasound machines at 252 hospitals are currently unusable.

The information came in response to a question from Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shahjahan Chowdhury of Chattogram-15, who sought details on shortages of doctors, nurses...