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Saturday | September 19, 2026 | Dhaka

Zahid calls for 50-year healthcare roadmap

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:01 AM, 19 September 2026

Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain on Friday called for a long-term and sustainable healthcare system in Bangladesh that can meet the needs of the next 50 years.

“We will not remain forever, but this country and its people will remain. Therefore, we have to develop the healthcare system in a long-term and sustainable manner, considering the needs of the next fifty years,” he said.

The minister made the remarks as chief guest at a programme at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hospital (NICVD) in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, marking the First Open Heart Surgery Day and the Cardiovascular Surgical Conference of NICVD-2026.

Dr Zahid said ensuring free emergency healthcare services was the responsibility of the state, while the country’s overall financial capacity should also be taken into realistic consideration.

He paid tribute to renowned physicians and specialists who had worked tirelessly to modernise cardiac treatment in Bangladesh.

The minister also expressed gratitude to Japan for providing technical and technological assistance to develop skilled cardiac surgeons during the early stages of cardiac treatment in the country.

He said the prevalence of heart disease, including congenital heart disease, was increasing in Bangladesh.

If such diseases could not be effectively prevented, they could adversely affect the country’s productive workforce in the future, he said.

Dr Zahid said the government had already waived taxes on valves and stents used in medical treatment to keep cardiac care affordable for ordinary people.

He also said the expansion of modern healthcare facilities in Bangladesh had significantly reduced people’s tendency to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The government had allocated Tk1.43 lakh crore for social safety-net programmes to reduce the sufferings of ordinary people and ensure their welfare, the minister said.

He urged affluent members of society to join the government in such humanitarian initiatives.