‘Health budget doubled to improve medical services’

The government has doubled the health sector allocation in the national budget to strengthen healthcare services and improve disease diagnosis, particularly at the grassroots level, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said on Sunday.

“Appropriate Technology for Healthcare in Low and Middle Income Countries”, he speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the two-day international conference at the Dhaka University Senate Building,

He said greater investment in healthcare is aimed at ensuring better medical services for all.
The conference was jointly organised by the Department of Biomedical Physics and Technology of Dhaka University, the Department of Biomedical Engineering of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the Department of Clinical Oncology of Bangladesh Medical University, BiBeat Limited and the Relevant Science and Technology Society.

The minister stressed that expanding technology-based healthcare services is vital for strengthening the country’s diagnostic capacity. He added that the government is implementing various initiatives to provide quality healthcare to rural and underprivileged communities.

“Patients in remote areas are still being deprived of proper healthcare services. The government is committed to improving this situation quickly. To achieve this goal, the health sector allocation has been doubled in the national budget,” he said.

Expressing concern over the ongoing dengue situation, Sakhawat Hossain said some hospitals are struggling with an overwhelming number of patients, forcing them to accommodate 30 to 40 dengue patients in a single room.

Highlighting the government’s support for indigenous medical technology development, he praised the Dhaka University’s telemedicine programme, which incorporates modern technologies such as online 12-lead ECG and electronic stethoscopes.

He said integrating these technologies into the government’s new rural healthcare programme could bring significant improvements to the healthcare delivery in rural areas.

The minister also urged the doctors and the nurses engaged in tackling dengue and measles outbreaks to continue performing their duties with greater patience and professionalism.

He said improving the country’s diagnostic system through the effective use of advanced technology remains one of the government’s top priorities. He added that the hospitals have been instructed not to discharge dengue patients until they have made a full recovery.

During the inaugural session, conference chairman Professor Khondkar Siddique-e-Rabbani highlighted the country’s progress in healthcare technology innovation since 1978, while Vice-Chairman Professor Toufiq Hasan presented innovations in biomedical technologies developed at BUET and discussed entrepreneurship in the sector.

Technical sessions at the conference covered a wide range of topics, including prevention of postpartum haemorrhage, oral rehydration programmes, children’s neurological development, dry eye treatment, diabetic foot ulcer prevention, artificial intelligence, electrical bio-impedance and affordable medical technologies.

Participants also proposed the establishment of two international initiatives – the Global Institute of Appropriate Technology for Mankind and the Global Alliance for Equalizing Access to Healthcare Technology – to help reduce disparities in access to medical technologies across the developing countries.

On the second day of the conference, technical sessions will focus on cancer treatment, palliative care, and prevention of hospital-acquired infections, low-cost medical technologies and the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare.