‘Govt recognises oxygen therapy as essential health service’
The government has recognised oxygen therapy as an essential health service and is taking steps to ensure safe, reliable and equitable access to medical oxygen across Bangladesh, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhit said on Monday.
He made the remarks at the “Bangladesh Oxygen Summit 2026”, hosted by Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) on October 3-4.
The two-day summit, held on the IUB campus, brought together government officials, public health experts, researchers, development partners, healthcare professionals, academics and private-sector representatives to discuss ways to strengthen the country’s medical oxygen system.
The summit was organised by the Bangladesh Oxygen Network in collaboration with IUB’s Center for Health, Implementation and Policy Sciences (CHIPS) under the theme “Journey to Achieve Equitable Access to Medical Oxygen.”
Speaking at a high-level policy dialogue on the second day, Dr Muhit said the government was undertaking a project in the current fiscal year to establish an integrated medical oxygen management system in at least 20 districts.
The government plans to gradually expand the system across the country in the next fiscal year, he said.
Thanking IUB and the organisers, the state minister said the government had, for the first time, recognised oxygen therapy as an essential health service.
The government is also working on an oxygen roadmap for 2026-2030, he said, adding that the information, data, research findings and declaration presented at the summit would contribute significantly to developing the roadmap.
IUB Vice Chancellor Prof M Tamim chaired the policy dialogue.
Md Nasser Shahrear Zahedee, chairman of Radiant Pharmaceuticals Limited; Prof Dr Sayeba Akhter, president of the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC); Prof M Monir Hossain Khan, secretary general of SOSB; Prof Dr Shohael Mahmud Arafat, president of APB; Dr Kazi Ahmed Zaki, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR); and Dr Shahnewaz Dewan, director of Planning and Research at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), attended the session.
Other participants included Dr Shams El Arifeen, senior scientist at icddr,b; Dr Kazi Saifuddin Bennoor, joint secretary of the Bangladesh Lung Foundation; Dr S K Md Mamunur Rahman Malik, former World Health Organization representative to Somalia; public health expert Dr S M Asib Nasim; and Dr Md Alamgir Hossain, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer of Harinakunda in Jhenaidah.
On the opening day, CHIPS Director Dr S M Moazzem Hossain delivered the welcome remarks, while Bangladesh Oxygen Network Convener Dr Ahmed Ehsanur Rahman outlined the objectives of the summit. Dr Malalay Ahmadzai, chief of health at UNICEF Bangladesh, also spoke at the session. Prof M Tamim formally inaugurated the summit.
The first scientific session focused on “Medical Oxygen Need, Production Capacity and Supply”. Md Alamgir Hossain, director general of the Directorate General of Drug Administration, chaired the session, with Prof Dr Abid Hossain Molla of BIRDEM as co-chair and Dr S M Moazzem Hossain as moderator.
The second scientific session focused on “Medical Oxygen Education, Research, Measurement and Innovation”. Prof Dr Nazmul Hosain, director general of the Directorate General of Medical Education, chaired the session, while Dr Shams El Arifeen served as co-chair and Dr Ahmed Ehsanur Rahman moderated.
The summit also featured a special session titled “Meet the Oxygen Champions”, featuring Shams El Arifeen, Mohammod Jobayer Chisti and Dr S K Md Mamunur Rahman Malik. Prof Dr Sayeba Akhter chaired the session.
Over the two days, participants discussed the availability, quality, safety, production and supply of medical oxygen and exchanged views on coordinated measures to strengthen Bangladesh’s oxygen system.
They also stressed the importance of ensuring safe, reliable and equitable access to medical oxygen across the country.
