Tenure of Health Sector Reform Commission extended
The commission is now expected to submit the report by the end of this month
The interim government has extended the tenure of the Health Sector Reform Commission, which was supposed to submit its report today (18 February), by two more weeks.
The commission is now expected to submit the report by the end of this month.
"After reviewing our work progress, the authorities decided to extend the tenure," Commission member Dr Muzaherul Huq, a former regional adviser at the World Health Organisation, confirmed to The Business Standard.
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"We are currently visiting various institutions and talking to various different stakeholders. Our work covers all aspects of the healthcare sector, from human resources to service delivery," he added.
To make healthcare more people-centric, accessible, and universal, the interim government formed a 12-member Health Sector Reform Commission on 17 October 2024. The commission was initially given 90 days to submit its report to the chief adviser of the interim government.
The Health Sector Reform Commission is exploring ways to reduce the financial burden of healthcare on Bangladeshis, proposing measures such as introducing a referral system, lowering medicine prices, ensuring accurate diagnostic tests, and providing free treatment for underprivileged patients.
Professor AK Azad Khan, the commission's chief, said the commission aims to present short-, medium-, and long-term policy-related recommendations to the government, ensuring necessary reforms to make healthcare accessible and universal.
