Task force suggests attracting FDI in healthcare, reforming Dhaka hospital

Highlights

• The task force suggests FDI in tertiary healthcare to meet rising demand 
• It calls for reforming a Dhaka public hospital with qualified administrators, a new board
• Real-time dashboards to gather feedback and enhance service quality
• Pilot project to reform a rural school and clinic for better education, healthcare

A task force formed to reframe the country's development strategies has recommended encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI) in the tertiary healthcare sector. 

Additionally, it recommends selecting a specific public hospital in Dhaka for comprehensive reform and starting a pilot project to reform a rural government school and community clinic.

The government established the 12-member taskforce on 11 September 2024, with the goal of reshaping the development strategy to foster equitable and sustainable growth. 

The taskforce was tasked with creating an initial comprehensive report within three months to lay the foundation for a just, dynamic, and sustainable economy. The report has now been completed and is expected to be submitted this week.

The task force's report highlights that the recent closure of the Indian medical market has increased the demand for high-quality healthcare in Bangladesh. To meet this demand, the taskforce stresses the importance of liberalising FDI in the country's tertiary healthcare sector.

While this proposal has faced opposition from those with vested interests in the past, the taskforce argues that it is now essential for the government to reconsider its stance. Allowing foreign investments, the report suggests, would benefit local communities by providing access to quality medical services, thereby reducing the need for costly medical tourism abroad.

In addition to encouraging FDI, the taskforce proposed selecting a specific public hospital in Dhaka for a complete reform. The recommended reform would include appointing qualified hospital administrators instead of generalists and establishing a new governing board. 

Furthermore, the taskforce suggests implementing a real-time monitoring dashboard to collect user complaints and give youth and citizen groups online access to key performance indicators. The feedback from this system would be used to continuously improve service delivery, quality, and performance.

For rural education and healthcare, the taskforce recommended initiating a pilot project focused on reforming a rural government school and community clinic. This initiative is designed to address the specific challenges of rural education and healthcare.

Commenting on the recommendations, MH Choudhury Lelin, a public health expert and chairman of Health and Hope Hospital, stressed the need for a more inclusive approach. 

He said, "Policymakers often treat Dhaka as if it represents the entire country. They focus on reforming hospitals in Dhaka, while primary healthcare in the rest of the country is neglected. In fact, 31% of people in cities do not have access to primary healthcare. There is also no proper referral system. 

"Every year, 700,000 people fall below the poverty line because they cannot afford healthcare. Foreign direct investments are mainly used to build expensive hospitals that do not benefit the poor. The focus needs to shift to addressing these issues and improving preventive healthcare to strengthen the healthcare system."