Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said restoring public confidence in Bangladesh’s healthcare system will depend not only on increased investment but also on compassionate treatment and professional responsibility from doctors and healthcare workers.
Speaking at a discussion marking the 81st founding anniversary of Dhaka Medical College (DMC) on Saturday, the prime minister said patients’ trust could only be regained through quality medical care and a humane attitude from those providing treatment.
Addressing doctors, students and healthcare professionals at the DMC auditorium, he said punctuality, accountability and respectful behaviour towards patients were essential to strengthening the country’s healthcare system.
The event, titled DMCians’ Thoughts on the Modernisation of Bangladesh’s Healthcare System, was also attended by the prime minister’s wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, who joined as a special guest.
Tarique Rahman said billions of dollars leave Bangladesh each year as many people seek medical treatment abroad, arguing that the country should be capable of delivering the same standard of care domestically.
He said public confidence could not be restored through regulation alone, adding that healthcare professionals themselves hold the key to rebuilding trust by providing proper treatment and showing empathy towards patients.
The prime minister also outlined a series of government initiatives aimed at expanding healthcare access across the country.
He said the recruitment process for 100,000 health workers had begun, with around 80 per cent of the new workforce expected to be women delivering preventive and primary healthcare services directly to households.
He highlighted that good health depends on more than hospital services, pointing to public awareness, clean surroundings, safe food, regular exercise and responsible lifestyles as equally important factors.
Repeating the principle that prevention is more effective than treatment, Tarique Rahman said the government wanted healthcare services to reach people before illnesses became severe. Early advice on nutrition, vaccination, maternal health, child development and the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, heart disease and cancer could significantly improve health outcomes, he said.
The prime minister highlighted increased public spending on healthcare, saying this year’s national budget allocated Tk69,409 crore to the sector, equivalent to 1.02 per cent of Bangladesh’s gross domestic product.
He also said the government intends to gradually increase health spending to 5% of GDP over the next five years.
Alongside higher spending, he said taxes and value-added tax had been reduced or removed on several medical products and treatment-related equipment, including dialysis filters, heart stents, heart valves, pacemakers, oxygenators, peripheral vascular stents, radiofrequency ablation fibres, intraocular lenses and selected raw materials used in cancer treatment.
To improve healthcare outside major cities, the government also plans to expand healthcare capacity at the local level. Tarique Rahman added that existing 31- and 51-bed hospitals in every upazila would be upgraded in phases to 101-bed facilities.
He noted that only five of Bangladesh’s 500 upazilas currently have hospitals with 100 beds, leaving many patients with little option but to travel to larger cities for treatment.
Solar power systems will also be installed on hospital rooftops to help ensure uninterrupted electricity supplies, he added.
Child healthcare remained another priority for his administration. He announced that five children’s hospitals, including newly constructed 200-bed facilities in Barishal and Rajshahi, would be made operational as quickly as possible, The prime minister continued.
According to Tarique Rahman, expanding specialised paediatric services beyond Dhaka will improve access to treatment for children across different regions of Bangladesh.
