While addressing at the UN Headquarters, in New York on the sidelines of the 78th UNGA session, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the global development partners to support the efforts of the developing nations to reach healthcare services to all.
Community based primary healthcare is the key to achieving universal health coverage. Apart from development partners, the multilateral financing institutions will also have to extend their support for the cause of community-centric health services in the developing world.
As health is at the root of all happiness, Bangladesh wishes to spread happiness all around through the community clinics. We hope that this side event will remain yet another proof of Bangladesh shared commitment to the health and well-being of all our people and communities.
In 2018, Bangladesh parliament passed the Community Clinic Health Support Trust Act to further streamline operations and funding modalities. It is good to note that the community clinics have become the local hub for universal immunization and they played a crucial role in securing COVID-19 vaccination coverage.
The WHO Director General highly
lauded Bangladesh’s steps to
develop overall health system
and ensure health services for all
Bangladesh government has been able to provide healthcare services at the doorsteps of the common people up to the rural areas due to the community clinics. Hence, Bangladesh can share its experience of community clinics with other UN member states to ensure primary healthcare services in those countries.
Community clinics are now playing a crucial role in reducing child and maternal mortality rates, and women are also getting health services during their maternity period. The grassroots people of Bangladesh are now getting 30 types of medicines from there free of cost, while these facilities have created healthcare opportunities for marginal and poor people including rural women. Besides, job opportunities have also been created in rural areas centring the community clinics.
The present government has appointed over 20 thousands of physicians, 25 thousand of nurses and included over 60 thousand of beds to the public hospitals across the country in last couple of years.
The WHO Director General highly lauded government’s steps to develop overall health system and ensure health services for all in Bangladesh. The community health clinics are an innovation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. We hope Bangladesh development partners and multilateral financing institutions will pay heed to Sheikh Hasina’s call in this regard.
