The health minister and experts at a programme on Sunday differed on the actual progress in the health sector and other issues after 50 years of the country's independence.
Health minister Zahid Maleque also warned that Bangladesh would not be able to tackle any kind of worst-pandemic situation like India as the neighbouring country has become devastated. So, everyone must be careful about health rules to avoid any disaster, he said.
The views came at a virtual discussion organised on the day, marking the 50th anniversary of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The minister was present as the chief guest.
In his speech, Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad president Prof Dr Iqbal M Arslan said the health sector could not reach an expected level anticipated during the country's independence. The authorities always worked on an ad-hoc basis which held the sector backward, he added.
Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council chairman Prof Dr Shahidullah said the health sector needs some reforms for moving forward. "The role in the hierarchy of various phases must be defined and they should be given more freedom and power to advance the health sector further."
Countering the views, Zahid Maleque suggested holding more discussions on the progress in health sector over the past 50 years than the shortcomings of the sector.
He said the private sector has been contributing significantly which was not there during the time of independence.
"We have planned to digitise the health sector for which Prime Minister's son Sajib Wazed Joy and the health ministry are working. There is a shortage of health workforce for which the PM has instructed us to prepare a list on where we want how many manpower so that she can approve," he said.
Many people who used to go abroad for treatment could not travel during the Covid-19 pandemic which means they received high-standard treatment here, said the minister.
"The world did not invest much in the health sector to provide service to mankind as it did to destroy people by making bombs. Now we see the economy is being damaged, and people's life ravaged by a virus. Corona has taught us to pay more attention to the health sector."
Zahid Maleque claimed that the second wave is still under control and the infection rate is on the declining trend.
He added: "But there is hardly any scope for complacency as the situation will go beyond control if people become relaxed and anything happens like India."
A giant country like India has been devastated by the pandemic but Bangladesh is unable to tackle such a situation, he said.
