President urges major healthcare overhaul
President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday called for a major overhaul of the country’s healthcare system and a change in the mindset of those involved to ensure medical services reach people at their doorsteps.
“A major transformation and reorganisation of the country’s healthcare services is crucial to bringing healthcare services to people’s doorsteps,” he said.
He made the remarks while inaugurating the First International Conference and Dental Expo-2026 (BPSCON 2026), organised by the Bangladesh Prosthodontic Society.
The President said the healthcare system had become so complicated that ordinary people found it difficult to access medical services. He also pointed out that the cost of dental treatment was beyond the reach of many people.
Highlighting shortages at government hospitals, Fakhrul said many facilities lacked sufficient doctors and medical equipment. Doctors were often unavailable at upazila-level hospitals, forcing people to seek treatment from unqualified practitioners, he added.
He urged the authorities to appoint enough government doctors at health centres in remote and underserved areas.
The President also called on young doctors to serve in rural areas after completing their studies. He said many were reluctant to work in villages, while some who took up remote postings moved elsewhere after a short period for further training or other assignments.
He stressed that doctors needed to change their attitudes towards serving people in rural and remote communities.
Fakhrul said the country’s brightest students pursued medical education and the government invested substantial resources in the sector. However, ordinary people were not receiving the full benefits of those investments, he added.
He urged healthcare authorities to address mismanagement with sincerity and a stronger sense of responsibility towards the public.
The President also called for professional organisations to remain free from partisan politics, saying political affiliations should not influence their activities. He further said the practice of changing everything in an organisation whenever a new government took office should end.
” The country’s people want change, and everyone must work together to bring about this positive change,” he said, urging all concerned to work towards a universal and people-friendly healthcare system.
Thanking the organisers for arranging the conference, Fakhrul expressed hope that the Bangladesh Prosthodontic Society would strengthen its international standing and contribute to the development of dental surgeons and dental healthcare services in the country.
He also shared his personal experience of dental problems and treatment, thanking the doctors who had been caring for him.
Earlier, the President unveiled the society’s souvenir and received a commemorative crest from the organisers.
President of the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Prof Dr Mohammad Saiful Islam and Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at Bangladesh Medical University Prof Dr Shakhawat Hossain spoke as special guests.
Bangladesh Prosthodontic Society President Prof Dr Abu Tayeb Md Ahsan Ullah chaired the programme, while Member Secretary of its convening committee Dr Md Alamgir Kabir delivered the welcome address. The society’s General Secretary Prof Dr Md Masudur Rahman also spoke.