Health Minister
Government Doubles Health Budget to Improve Medical Access
Today at the Senate Building of the University of Dhaka, Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhaoat Hossain delivered a speech at the inaugural ceremony of a two-day international conference.
The government has doubled budget allocations for the health sector to improve access to quality medical care and address gaps in healthcare services, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said on Sunday.
Speaking as the chief guest at the opening ceremony of a two-day international conference titled ‘Appropriate Technologies for Healthcare in Low- and Middle-Income Countries’ at the Senate Building of the University of Dhaka, the minister said the government is working to strengthen disease diagnosis and ensure quality healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
The conference was jointly organized by the Department of Biomedical Physics and Technology at the University of Dhaka, the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the Department of Clinical Oncology at Bangladesh Medical University, BioBIT Limited, and the Relevant Science and Technology Society.
Sakhawat said expanding technology-driven healthcare services is essential to improving the country’s diagnostic capacity.
“Patients in remote areas are still being deprived of proper medical treatment. The government is committed to improving this situation quickly. To achieve that goal, the allocation for the health sector has been doubled in the national budget,” he said.
Expressing concern over the dengue outbreak, the minister said some hospitals are treating 30 to 40 dengue patients in a single room because of the growing number of admissions.
Highlighting the government’s support for locally developed medical technologies, he praised the University of Dhaka’s telemedicine program.
He said the platform incorporates advanced technologies, including online 12-lead ECG and electronic stethoscopes, adding that integrating these tools with the government’s new rural healthcare program could significantly improve medical services in rural communities.
The minister also urged doctors and nurses working to combat dengue and measles outbreaks to continue performing their duties with patience and professionalism.
He said improving diagnostic systems through the effective use of advanced technology remains one of the government’s top priorities.
Sakhawat added that authorities have been instructed not to discharge dengue patients from hospitals until they have fully recovered.
During the inaugural session, conference Chair Professor Khondkar Siddique-e-Rabbani highlighted Bangladesh’s progress in healthcare technology innovation since 1978, while Vice Chair Professor Towfiq Hasan discussed biomedical technologies developed at BUET and entrepreneurial initiatives in the sector.
The conference featured sessions on preventing postpartum hemorrhage, oral rehydration programs, child neurological development, dry eye treatment, diabetic foot ulcer prevention, artificial intelligence, electrical bio-impedance, and affordable healthcare technologies.
Participants also proposed two international initiatives—the Global Institute of Appropriate Technology for Mankind and the Global Alliance for Equalizing Access to Healthcare Technology—to reduce disparities in access to medical technology in developing countries.
The second day of the conference will include technical sessions on cancer treatment, palliative care, prevention of hospital-acquired infections, low-cost medical technologies, and the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
