‘Tk 70,000cr health budget must reach people’

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit has called for an end to flashy projects and populist activities in the health sector, stressing that the record Tk 70,000 crore budget must be spent effectively to improve public healthcare.

“Spending money merely for the sake of expenditure or purchasing large buildings and expensive equipment in an unplanned manner can in no way ensure the people’s good health,” he said.

Speaking as the chief guest at a roundtable at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) on Wednesday, Muhit said unplanned purchases of expensive equipment and construction of large buildings could not guarantee better health outcomes.

The roundtable was titled “Specific Budget Allocation for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases Including Hypertension Control and Ways to Ensure Availability of Hypertension Medicines and Future Course of Action”. Public health experts, researchers and prominent physicians attended the event, according to a press release. Muhit said the government aimed to build a sustainable and people-friendly healthcare system within the next 10 years, with particular attention to marginalised communities.

He said the government had allocated Tk 70,000 crore for the health sector, the highest amount ever allocated to the sector.

“Every single penny of this huge amount must be spent on healthcare for the people, and it must be ensured that no form of corruption can misuse the funds,” the state minister said.

Highlighting the risks posed by hypertension and other non-communicable diseases, he said thousands of people faced the risk of death every day.

He argued that the response should go beyond hospital construction and expensive equipment. Regular medicine supplies to marginalised people, health promotion and preventive healthcare were among the most pressing priorities, he said.

The minister also pointed to disruptions caused by the sudden closure of sector-wide programmes and operational plans without alternative arrangements. Such decisions had affected services ranging from vaccination to the supply of hypertension medicines, he said.

“Good intentions alone are not enough to run the administration; every decision has far-reaching consequences,” he said.

Muhit called on experts to reconvene at a roundtable to develop specific policies and recommendations on how the health sector should be managed in the coming days.

The proposed discussions are intended to help establish a structural approach to healthcare management, with emphasis on effective spending, disease prevention and access to essential medicines.