A statutory regulatory order (SRO) against unification of the health and family planning wings was issued on September 14 and it will come into force from next year. It aims to avoid 'clash of interests' of personnel of the two wings, official sources said.

Earlier on December 27, 1998, the first SRO was issued seeking to unify health and family planning delivery services up to upazila level. On July 9, 2001, a second SRO was issued to unify healthcare delivery services up to directorate level.

The Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), the apex body of more than 30,000 medical practitioners, has strongly protested the latest SRO, saying it goes against modern concepts of healthcare and also contravenes the agreement reached at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1995.

The then and also the present Prime Minister Khaleda Zia signed the ICPD agreement, which stated that health and population service should be delivered from the same site in a unified manner, officials said.

In the wake of the ICPD agreement, the then and present Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman also told donors at the Paris Aid Consortium meeting in 1995 that Dhaka would go for a unified healthcare delivery system.

Based on this concept, the government in 1998 launched a $2.9 billion Health and Population Sector Programme (HPSP).

Under the HPSP, over 13,000 community clinics were constructed in the last five years to deliver unified healthcare services. Millions of taka were spent to train doctors, nurses and paramedics and health and family planning field workers

BMA President M A Hadi told The Daily Star yesterday, "At a meeting of the newly-elected BMA executive committee and central council members last year, the prime minister reiterated her commitment to the unification process in the light of the 1995 ICPD agreement.

"I have no idea why the government is suddenly reversing its decision."

"We will continue to persuade the government to go in line with the ICPD agreement and adopt even more efficient healthcare system," Hadi added.

However, Health Secretary A F M Sarwar Kamal said yesterday the decision against unification of the two wings of the health ministry was already discussed and approved at the cabinet meeting on September 1. "This is being done to avoid clash of interests of health and family planning personnel," he said in reply to a question.

Meanwhile, a World Bank official said, "As long as the reform action plans are in place, we are happy. The decision that has not yet been formally communicated to the bank does not add any new element to our partnership with the government."