Alo clinic model offers urban healthcare roadmap

The government is expanding primary healthcare services across Bangladesh by improving healthcare at the upazila level, introducing kidney dialysis services and widening ambulance coverage to ensure better access to treatment, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said on Thursday.

Speaking at a discussion on expanding primary healthcare services in urban areas at a hotel in the capital on Thursday morning, the minister said the government’s objective was to ensure primary healthcare for people across the country while delivering the highest standard of healthcare services.

“The current government is working to improve healthcare services at the upazila level across the country. It is also working effectively to enhance the quality of public healthcare services with the support of various international organisations, development partners and donor agencies. Kidney dialysis services being introduced at upazila level,” he said.

He said healthcare services were being expanded nationwide so that no one would die because of a lack of medical treatment.

The minister also announced plans to extend ambulance services to ensure that patients living in remote and hard-to-reach areas could be transported to advanced healthcare facilities for better treatment.

The discussion, organised by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), presented evidence-based outcomes, implementation experiences and lessons learned from the Alo Clinic model.

The findings are expected to support future government initiatives aimed at strengthening primary healthcare services in urban areas.

The meeting was presided over by DGHS Director General Dr Pravath Chandra Biswas and addressed by Swedish Ambassador Nicolas Weeks and UNICEF Deputy Country Representative Emmanuelle Abrew.

Officials at the programme said six Alo Clinics established in Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Gazipur and Narayanganj have been providing free, integrated and fully digital primary healthcare services under the national Essential Services Package (ESP++) since 2021.

The clinics offer a broad range of services, including maternal, newborn and child healthcare, immunisation, nutrition screening, disease diagnosis and treatment. On average, they serve 168 patients every day.

Four of the six Alo Clinics operate 24-hour, midwife-led normal delivery centres, where more than 1,000 safe deliveries have been conducted since January 2025.

The Alo Clinic model was developed and implemented by UNICEF in partnership with the Bangladesh government, with financial support from the Government of Sweden.