Ensure universal healthcare for all

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged the rich countries to support the efforts to ensure universal healthcare for the countries lagging behind.

Hasina said this while addressing a high level programme titled “Accelerating Universal Health Coverage Towards Smart Bangladesh” at a city hotel.

She said many countries are still lagging behind. They need assistance.

Enough fund should be created to support health and nutrition in areas that are not yet developed or that have not made much progress towards health, she said.

Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and co-chair of the Chatham House Commission Helen Clark also spoke at the programme as a special guest.

The programme was divided in two parts — in the first part the chief guest, special guests and experts answered various questions.

This part of the programme was moderated by Saima Wazed Putul, adviser on Mental Health and Autism to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Commissioner of the Chatham House Commission on Public Health.

The PM briefly described various steps of the government for providing free primary care and 30 types of medicine through community clinics, providing free insulin from community clinics, recruiting new nurses and doctors, training health care workers, providing maternity and post-natal services to mothers, maternity allowance and increasing the number of beds in various district and upazila hospitals.

She highlighted various initiatives of the government to bring medical services to people’s doorsteps by increasing the quality of medical services using advanced equipment, building specialised hospitals, establishing hospitals, medical colleges, and medical universities.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwen Lewis, World Health Organization Representative in Bangladesh Dr Vardhan Jung Rana and UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh Sheldon Yate were present.

The second part of the programme discussed and sought to find solutions to the challenges related to the financing of healthcare and ensuring service delivery.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the support of several national and international organizations such as UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, Suchana Foundation, Center for Research and Information and Chatham House, London.