'Healthcare system hardly benefits the vulnerable'

Speakers at a roundtable in the city yesterday called for building a citizen's movement to press the government so that improved healthcare services for all is ensured.

The existing healthcare delivery system is far from a proper one as it hardly benefits the vulnerable section of the society, especially women and children, they said.

The roundtable on 'healthcare, expectations, reality and way out' was organised by Health and Hope, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

The participants demanded strict control of the health ministry on all private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres as also on private practice of medics.

They also demanded modernisation of medical education.

In the absence of proper planning based on assessment of needs, a lot of fund is misused in the health sector. Expensive medical equipment and apparatus lie unused in many hospitals, the speakers mentioned.

The government constructed hundreds of community clinics (CCs) for healthcare delivery at grassroots level but most of the CCs are lying unutilised, they pointed out.

One speaker alleged about 30 per cent of drugs meant for distribution among patients at the medical college hospitals are misappropriated. Besides, patients have to make illegal payments for healthcare services at hospitals and health centres, particularly in rural areas, he added.

In his keynote paper at the roundtable, Dr M H Choudhury attributed misuse of funds to virtual lack of accountability. Although there is a full-fledged health economics unit of the health ministry, a lot of funds is misused in the name of foreign training of doctors, technicians and other staff of the ministry, he said.

Economist Atiur Rahman moderated the roundtable. Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed, and Prof Zillur Rahman Siddiqui were present.

Those who took part in discussion included Prof Abul Barkat, Advocate Ziad Al Mamun, writer Selina Hossain, Ustad Mobarak Hossain , artistes Mamunur Rashid and Ali Zaker, former BMA president Prof Rashid-e-Mahbub, Prof Nazmun Nahar, Dr Jahangir Alam and Dr Aminul Islam.