President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called on doctors’ leaders to come forward with specific plans and proposals to reform the health sector and address its longstanding shortcomings.
He made the call when a 20-member delegation of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), led by its Chief Adviser Professor Farhad Haleem Donar and President Professor Harun Al Rashid, paid a courtesy visit to him at Bangabhaban on Thursday morning.
The president said years of mismanagement and a lack of proper planning had prevented the country from achieving the desired progress in healthcare.
“We did not have a proper, comprehensive plan for how many doctors, nurses and technologists we need, what medical equipment is required, or what kind of infrastructure should be in place,” he said.
He said the health sector had received its highest-ever allocation in the national budget under the current government and stressed the need to use the opportunity to establish a better-managed healthcare system.
The president called for proper planning in recruiting new doctors, developing infrastructure and procuring medical equipment.
He also urged the authorities to end the practice of lobbying over promotions and postings and ensure that qualified professionals are appointed to appropriate positions based on merit.
The president asked doctors to strengthen their involvement in research, saying greater emphasis on research is necessary for the development of the health sector.
He also expressed concern over the proliferation of clinics and diagnostic centres across the country, saying their unplanned growth was harming the healthcare system.
He called on the relevant authorities to bring such establishments under proper management and effective regulation.
