Dhaka, May 7: State Minister for Health, Dr. M.A. Muhit, has stated that the primary foundation of the government's health plan is to strengthen primary healthcare. He emphasized the vision to create a completely reorganized and modern health system where the existing family planning structure is viewed as a significant asset rather than a burden, though it must evolve with the times.
The State Minister shared these remarks on Thursday at a policy dialogue titled "Primary Healthcare and National Family Planning Program in Bangladesh" held at the CIRDAP Auditorium in the capital. The event was jointly organized by Sweden and Bangladesh Health Watch.
The panel discussion also featured Dr. Ziauddin Hyder, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health; Dr. Ashrafi Ahmad, Director General of the Directorate General of Family Planning; Taslim Uddin Khan, Managing Director of Social Marketing Company; Dr. Mohammad Zahirul Islam, Health Advisor of the Swedish Embassy; Dr. Ubaidur Rob, Population Planning and Development Specialist; Dr. Yasmin H. Ahmed, Advisor to Bangladesh Health Watch; Shishir Morol, Special Correspondent of Prothom Alo; and Dr. Abu Jamil Faisel, Senior Public Health Specialist and member of the Bangladesh Health Watch working group.
Highlighting new plans to reduce duplication in field-level services, the State Minister noted that currently, approximately 40,000 workers are divided into three or four segments under the Ministry of Health, Family Planning, and Community Clinics.
The government plans to recruit an additional 100,000 new health workers. Both current and new staff, totaling 140,000 workers, will be brought under a unified structure. A uniform job description and an "Essential Service Package" will be ensured for all to maintain consistent service quality.
Dr. Muhit stated that the focus will shift from merely population control to overall health development, disease prevention, and increasing health awareness.
"Duplication occurs when three different workers visit the same house separately, while many distant houses remain uncovered. Under an integrated structure, this coverage gap will no longer exist," he said.
He further mentioned that currently, 50% of the population uses contraceptives through personal initiatives. By increasing proper awareness, this can be raised to 70%, which would reduce the burden on the government and allow those resources to be spent on public health development.
Regarding health sector financing, the Minister noted that the challenge lies more in inefficiency and lack of timely implementation than in the amount of money. The government plans to provide maximum allocation to the health and education sectors and aims to gradually increase the size of the health budget. He also emphasized the importance of using modern technology for real-time data collection and local-level planning.
