Long-standing mismanagement and lack of accountability have left the country’s health sector in crisis, said Zia Rahman Foundation Vice-President Dr. Zubaida Rahman, wife of the prime minister. She made the remarks as chief guest at a workshop titled “The Path to Becoming a Health Entrepreneur in Bangladesh,” held at Hotel Amari in Gulshan, in the capital, on Tuesday.
She said being a health entrepreneur doesn’t just mean building a profitable enterprise — the real goal of a true health entrepreneur is to identify actual health problems and develop effective solutions through research, innovation and scientific evidence. Zubaida Rahman said Bangladesh’s greatest strength is its vast young population. If their technological skills, innovative thinking and sense of social responsibility can be harnessed, the quality of healthcare and people’s access to it can be significantly improved. With proper training, mentorship and technical support, young people’s innovative ideas can be turned into reality, bringing positive change to Bangladesh’s health sector. Zia Rahman Foundation Vice-President Dr. Zubaida Rahman emphasized building the younger generation into health entrepreneurs to resolve existing crises in the health sector and address future challenges.
Calling for building an integrated ecosystem, Zubaida Rahman said universities must ensure an education system where students get hands-on learning opportunities. At the same time, effective connections must be built between researchers, teachers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and investors so new health-based startups can move forward easily. Access to healthcare is a citizen’s basic right, she said — not a special privilege.
She added that long-standing mismanagement and lack of accountability have left the country’s health sector in crisis. Currently, people in the country bear about 72% of health expenses out of pocket, pushing many low- and middle-income families into financial distress. Zubaida Rahman said implementing an effective and sustainable health policy is essential to reduce health expenditure and ensure healthcare for all. She said preventive healthcare must be prioritized — under the government’s plan, trained health workers are now going door to door providing primary healthcare. Detecting diseases such as diarrhea, high blood pressure, diabetes and malnutrition at an early stage can reduce long-term pressure on hospitals.
Calling climate change, rapid urbanization, the spread of non-communicable diseases and a growing elderly population new challenges for the country’s health sector, Zubaida Rahman said no single institution or government alone can address these challenges. A strong, sustainable health system can only be built through the use of modern technology, public-private partnerships and coordinated efforts among development partners.
At the event, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said: “Considering the country’s existing resources, we have already allocated a fairly good budget. But budget allocation alone is never enough — how that allocation is used most effectively is the crucial process. We are building that foundation for the health sector.”
He said public and private institutions must coordinate with each other to advance the healthcare sector further. If both sides operate at their own pace, the sector will not benefit overall. Coordination between private-sector and government activities must therefore play a strong role. He said the government, private sector, universities and all relevant stakeholders must work together to develop the health sector, while also emphasizing the importance of nurturing entrepreneurs in this field.
Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain and the prime minister’s health assistant S.M. Ziauddin Haider also spoke at the event.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report