Nat'l strategy for quality healthcare launched

A national strategy, developed by the Health Economics Unit of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, was launched yesterday to ensure quality healthcare service delivery in the country.

Health Secretary Syed Monjurul Islam launched the strategy through an event arranged with assistance from Unicef, said a handout of the ministry.

The strategy will provide strategic directions and a roadmap for the improvement of quality programmes of the ministry as well as guiding the UN agencies, development partners, other stakeholders in planning and, if necessary, reshaping the interventions on quality improvement.

Addressing the function, Monjurul Islam said the strategy has addressed the issue of quality from both the technical and service-oriented perspective and this will be implemented in health, population and nutrition sectors in phases under both public and private management.

Director General of Directorate General of Health Services Prof Dr Deen Mohammad Noorul Huq, Director General of the Health Economics Unit Md Ashadul Islam and Chief of Health of Unicef Bangladesh Dr Lianne Kuppens also spoke at the launching ceremony.

Dr Deen Mohammad said quality is an integral part of healthcare in every country and quality improvement remains a major focus at all time in healthcare history.

Ashadul Islam said the strategy has been developed through a collaborative and participatory process. “It suggests combined and continuous efforts of everyone in the health system to make the changes that will lead to better treatment outcomes, better system performance and better professional development,” he said.

Dr Lianne Kuppens said the quality improvement of health services is a priority for Unicef in Bangladesh. “The quality of healthcare services often falls short of the national norms and standards. It's an imperative now to improve the effective coverage of health services that ensures the coverage of services with quality,” she said.