Speakers at a webinar on Saturday urged all stakeholders to work together to realize commitments related to development of health sector made by the political parties prior to the National Elections of 2018 to realize the government’s health-related commitments made prior to the National Elections of 2018.
The webinar was jointly organized Bangladesh Health Watch, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health and Unnayan Shamannay.
The discussants said that the commitments related to development of health sector made by the political parties prior to the National Elections of 2018 have become even much more relevant because of the Covid pandemic.
They said that a significant amount of resources have been allocated to attain these goals in the course of the last three national budgets.
However, they also pointed out that there still remains a long way to go to reach the goals that the government set in its election commitments.
All stakeholders must work together to fulfill these commitments, the speakers urged.
Unnayan Shamannay Chair and former Governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr Atiur Rahman presented the keynote address.
Besides, Bangladesh national parliament whip Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon, Health and Family Welfare Ministry’s parliamentary committee member Dr Ruhal Haque, Sirajganj MP Dr Habibe Millat, Chapai Nawabganj MP Dr Samil Uddin Ahmed, Gaibandha MP Shamim Haider, MP Gloria Jharna Sarker, and Bangladesh Medical Associate president Dr Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin were among the speakers who expressed their opinions at the webinar.
The online session was moderated by media personality Mithila Farjana.
While presenting his speech, Dr Atiur Rahman opined that just analyzing the budgetary allocations would not suffice to understand the extent of realization of the election manifesto commitments related to healthcare.
Rather, the stakeholders should make sincere efforts to implement the goals that the administration has set for the advancement of this sector.
Meanwhile, MP Ruhal Haque said that ensuring adequate human resources for the healthcare sector should be given a priority.
MP Shamim Haider emphasized the need for decentralization of public health administration in his speech.
In the meantime, whip Sayeed Al Mahmood informed the audience that the current government is committed to fulfilling its healthcare-related election commitments despite facing numerous challenges due to the ongoing pandemic.
Finally, Dhaka University Professor and working group member of Bangladesh Health Watch Dr Ruamana Haque expressed his words of thanks on behalf of the organizers.
