Health complexes to get specialist doctors

All the 50-bed health complexes across the country are going to have 10 specialist physicians each under a government programme to reach quality healthcare to the common people.
According to an official document, the government is going to create 10 posts of Junior Consultant (Specialist Physician) in health complexes that have recently been upgraded to 50-bed ones.
The health complexes will be equipped with modern equipment, such as ECG, nebuliser, autoclave and ultrasonography machines, and blood collection monitors.
The document says the government is implementing a project to set up a full-fledged 100-bed cancer treatment unit at every government medical college hospital in divisional towns.
This is being done considering the lack of adequate facilities for the treatment of cancer patients in the country.
To take healthcare services to the doorsteps of people at the earliest, recruitment of doctors, nurses and other health professionals is under way along with installing necessary equipment and facilities, according to the document.
In this connection, 213 new doctors have been recruited through the 38th BCS within a short span of time to ensure that the Covid-19 infected patients get treatment, and they have already joined different hospitals.
As the government has a constitutional responsibility to ensure healthcare services for all it is working tirelessly to build a healthy, strong and active population by providing affordable and quality health, nutrition and family welfare (HNP) services to people.
As a result, the document claims, the country has already made commendable progress in the development of the HNP sector.
For example, maternal mortality rate, neonatal mortality rate, under-5 mortality rate, malnutrition, underweight, low-birth weight are continuously being improved along with an increase in life expectancy.
Despite limited resources, Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in achieving the MDGs related to health, and is building on that success.
The government is currently working to achieve the SDGs by 2030. Sector-wise activities are being implemented during the period of 2017-2022 under 29 operational plans of the 4th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Program (4th HPNSP).
Activities under the programme include the provision of nutrition and health services for mothers and children, controlling infectious and non-communicable diseases and climate change induced new diseases, developing a modern and efficient pharmaceutical sector, and development of skilled human resources, including training to doctors.
To improve health and nutrition services for every citizen, the government is implementing a number of programmes.
Nutrition services are being implemented at all upazilas under the National Nutrition Service (NNS) programme, as per the document.
Steps are being taken to start 24-hour emergency maternity services in 96 upazila health centres.
The government is going to expand the maternal health voucher programme for the poor, destitute and pregnant mothers to 73 upazilas, up from current 53 upazilas.
The government, the document stated, has a plan to intensify the emergency maternity services in 132 upazilas.
As part of the plan to set up 14,890 community clinics across the country, constructions of 14,384 clinics have already been completed of which 13,881 are currently providing services.
As many as 80 per cent of the beneficiaries of the community clinics are women and children. Maternity services are provided in 4,000 community clinics across the country.
Keeping the goal of achieving universal healthcare in the country by 2030 in view, the government has formulated the ‘Strategy for Finance in the Health Sector: 2012-2032’.
In line with the strategy, the ‘Shashtho Shurokkha Karmashuchi (SSK)’ has been formulated to finance healthcare services for people living below the poverty line.
The pilot programme under the SSK has been initiated to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses of the poor population and protect them from the catastrophic health expenditure in receiving hospital-based services.
While receiving inter-departmental services from hospitals, every family holding a card gets free treatment, including costs of diagnosis and medicines.
As of April 30, 2021, 20,931 members of 81,619 enlisted families have received services under this programme, and it will gradually be expanded across the country.
In accordance with the National Strategic Plan 2016-2021, steps have been taken on Autism and NeuroDevelopmental Disorders.
Educational measures have been taken to make people aware of autism and neuro developmental disorders.
At the same time, child development centres have been established in 33 hospitals through which patients with autism and neurodevelopmental disorders are being provided integrated treatment (combining child physicians, clinical psychologists and developmental therapists).