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The Health Sector Reform Commission in 50 days of its formation is still gathering information and opinions on several focal areas such as service improvement while public health campaigners and medical practitioners demand free healthcare at all public health facilities. 

The latters expect sharper surveillance of overall health facilities, effective corruption-control measures and rational distribution of logistics between urban and rural healthcare centres.

The interim government formed the 12-member Health Sector Reform commission on November 18, 2024 for submitting necessary reform proposals in 90 days to make the country’s healthcare services people-oriented, accessible and universal.

Commission member Muzaherul Huq, also a former senior adviser to the World Federation for Medical Education, recently told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that the commission identified several focal areas for reforms.  

‘We are gathering information and opinions from related professionals at grassroots-level and urban healthcare centres where marginalised people often visit for medical treatment. Our mission is to propose necessary improvements of the facilities so that patients can access better healthcare,’ Muzaherul said. 

The commission has been analysing the autonomy of upazila health complexes, at least for procuring crucial logistics, and strong monitoring over its expenditures, he said.  

The commission has also been talking to teachers and students at institutions of public health, medical science and nursing training, and paramedics and technicians to gather suggestions on the improvement of the health and medical science education, he said. 

‘Improving the facilities for continuing education or professional training would be another focal area,’ said the commission member, adding, ‘widening scopes for research on the related fields would be focused.’

About corruption in the health sector, Muzaherul said that the issue had already been identified by several local and international organisations.

He said, ‘We will definitely recommend necessary measures to check corruption. At the same time, we will recommend conflict management procedures to minimise patients’ grievances and safety for the health practitioners as well.’ 

Public health campaigners have, however, demanded that the commission must recommend completely free medical facilities, including diagnosis and supply of medicines, at all public hospitals.

Faizul Hakim, the convener of the Janaswastha Sangram Parishad, a platform for raising voices against irregularities in the public health sector, said, ‘The government must bear the people’s health expenditures. I won’t recommend health insurance to facilitate insurance businesses.’

Non-practicing allowance for the physicians at public hospitals, limiting fees at physicians’ private chambers, strict surveillance over the services and expenses at the private hospitals and diagnosis centres, and a functional and independent Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council are among Faizul’s recommendations. 

‘Corruption has paralysed the health sector, cornering the patients and their distressed families. Recommendations should come to check corruption anyhow,’ Faizul demanded, adding that the commission must come up with a white paper investigating the alleged corruption during and after the Covid pandemic. 

‘Irregularities in procuring corona vaccines must be investigated.’

Public health and preventive medicine specialist Lenin Chowdhury said that reform proposals must include a comprehensive healthcare plan combining public health and treatment, defining rights and responsibilities of private clinics and practitioners, monitoring the quality of medical colleges and training institutions, a short-mid-long-term road map for manpower recruitment in the health sector and experts-led health ministry.

‘The insolvent patients need a safety net. Moreover, there must be a guideline for bringing poverty-ridden patients under a universal healthcare system,’ Lenin said.

Commission chief Professor AK Azad Khan, also the president of Bangladesh Diabetic Society, said that the commission continued discussing with key stakeholders, including common citizens.

‘We would prepare a precise draft of reform proposals at the end of this month,’ Azad said.