A problem befitting the health ministry

It is disheartening to know that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has once again failed to utilise the funds allocated for it in the national budget of the outgoing fiscal year. As per a report by this daily, in the first 10 months of FY2022-23, the ministry – through its two divisions – has spent only 32.22 percent of its total Tk 12,189.77 crore allocation in the budget. Sources tell us that there wouldn't be much change in the scenario when the remaining two months are accounted for. Such mismanagement of funds, year after year, despite the country's per capita health expenditure being the lowest in South Asia, is a damning indictment of the government's apathy towards public health.

The healthcare system has long been in dire straits. Insufficient infrastructure, inadequate medical supplies, and a severe shortage of healthcare professionals have crippled the system, leaving countless citizens without access to even the most basic healthcare services. The failure of the ministry to effectively utilise allocated funds exacerbates these challenges, further compounding the suffering of ordinary patients. The extent of its failure can be understood from the fact that among the 15 ministries that received the highest allocations in the outgoing year, the health ministry has been the slowest in implementing the ADP.

The question is, why is this most vital sector putting up such abysmal performance? One may even wonder why government officials, who are often known to allow corruption through inflated bills, would pass up a chance to spend. Health experts have identified a number of reasons for unutilised funds, including poor budget planning, lack of vision, inefficiency, vacant posts leading to unpaid salaries (a big portion of the health budget is allocated for salaries), the ministry's "heavily centralised nature" delaying procurement plans, officials' fear of audit scrutiny, etc. While some of the problems are procedural, the others are simply down to lack of integrity and capability of officials.

Whatever the reason, however, the consequence of underutilisation or mismanagement of funds is felt across the health system. The burden falls disproportionately on the disadvantaged sections of society, who must spend and suffer heavily as a consequence. This cannot be left unaddressed indefinitely. The health ministry must be held accountable for its repeated failures to utilise its budget. The government must improve its capacity and accountability so that funds are planned and utilised efficiently to serve their intended purposes.