Health sector needs quality transformation beyond state spending: Finance minister

Healthcare outcomes cannot improve through government investment alone unless the sector undergoes qualitative transformation, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said today (4 July).

Speaking during the inauguration of a 50-bed specialised dengue ward at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), the minister said doctors, teachers, administrators and other healthcare professionals must provide leadership from their respective positions to improve healthcare services.

He said the government is prioritising investments in projects that deliver the greatest public benefit and is following the same approach in the health sector.

"We are recruiting 1,00,000 workers to strengthen primary preventive healthcare. Effective primary healthcare will reduce pressure on medical college hospitals, keep people healthier and lower the need for complex treatment," he added.

Emphasising service quality over budgetary allocation alone, the minister said continuing with a "business as usual" approach would not bring meaningful improvements. He urged healthcare professionals to identify ways to introduce positive changes and advise the government on necessary reforms.

"Government alone cannot do everything," he said, adding that many poor practices had become normalised and that the sector must move away from that culture.

Referring to various challenges facing CMCH, the minister said those issues would be addressed gradually. However, infrastructure development and funding alone would not be sufficient.

"The hospital administration, doctors, teachers and relevant professionals must rethink the entire service system. If necessary, the entire process should be re-evaluated. You are familiar with global best practices, and these should be implemented in respective institutions," he said.

The minister also said the government is prepared to provide necessary funding and noted that the health sector received its largest-ever budget allocation.

He further said the government had made record investments in social protection programmes, including Family Cards and Farmer Cards, as well as in health and education.

Discussing public health initiatives, he said the measles vaccination programme, which had remained stalled during the interim government's tenure, had now been fully implemented.

On the dengue situation, he said concerns in Chattogram had eased considerably and no dengue-related deaths had been reported among patients receiving treatment in the city or at CMCH so far.

He said the specialised dengue ward was launched to maintain that level of service and preparedness.

Among others, CMCH Director Brig Gen Taslim Uddin, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Shahadat Hossain, Chattogram-9 lawmaker Abu Sufian, and senior hospital officials attended the programme.

After the inauguration, the finance minister visited the ward and inspected treatment facilities and patient care services.