ICMH to be made self-reliant

The Institute of Child and Maternal Health (ICMH), an autonomous organisation, will be made self-reliant so that it does not have to depend on government and can render improved health service, Health Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf said yesterday.

The minister said this while chairing the first meeting of Board of Governors of ICMH here yesterday.

The institute will be built as a centre of excellence, he said, adding that giving autonomy to other institutes related to health service will be considered in phases depending on its success.

The minister said ICMH would be used as the venue of international training programmes of various organisations, including World Health Organisation, UNICEF and UNFPA, to raise its income.

"This will help create opportunities for the institute to become self-reliant. Other sources of income will also be explored."

The meeting formed three sub-committees to frame different rules and regulations and by laws under the ICMH Autonomous Law.

The sub-committees have been asked to formulate service rules, management structure and means of income generation and submit the draft within next two months.

The foundation stone of the institute was laid in 1994 and the law giving it autonomous status was passed by the Jatiya Sangsad in July 2002.

The meeting was also attended by members of the board Salahuddin Ahmed MP Ataur Rahman Khan, MP, Health Secretary Muhamad Fazlur Rahman, Director General of Department of Health Prof Mizanur Rahman, Director General of Department of Family Planning Md. Fazlur Rahman, President of Bangladesh Medical Association Prof M A Hadi, Child Specialist Prof Dr Nurul Islam and Director of ICMH Prof UH Farida Khatun.