Professional excellence not enough, doctors must be humane: PM

Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman has said that along with professional excellence, it is essential for doctors to become humane, as a doctor's advice and sincere behaviour work like medicine for a patient.

He made these remarks while addressing the Dhaka conference of Upazila Health and Family Planning Officers at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Saturday, April 18.

The prime minister said the current government wants to build a 'Healthy Bangladesh'. The government's policy is 'prevention is better than cure'. The role of health officers is undeniable in implementing this policy.

He said specialist doctors, hospitals and advanced labs are mostly capital-centric. If advanced care can be ensured at district and upazila levels, patients will not have to face financial hardship coming to Dhaka. Eliminating healthcare disparity between urban and rural areas is a top priority of the current government.

The prime minister said the BNP government has adopted detailed plans for the health sector. As part of this, the government will gradually allocate 5 per cent of GDP to the health sector. He also announced plans to recruit one lakh 'health carers' across the country, of whom 80 per cent will be women. An integrated e-Health Card and a national health insurance scheme will also be introduced to ensure no citizen suffers financially due to medical expenses.

Expressing grief over the measles deaths, he said the failure of the previous two governments to vaccinate children across the country is an unforgivable crime. He thanked doctors and health workers for taking swift action to prevent further deterioration.

"Ensuring proper medical care is not the state's mercy but a fundamental right of citizens," he said.