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Editorial

More attention on healthcare needed

Dengue, chikunguniya must be contained


Bangladeshpost
Published : 07 Jul 2019 06:01 PM | Updated : 27 Aug 2020 02:36 PM

The danger of dengue and chikunguniya in the monsoon period needs no highlighting with dozens of people falling ill and rushing to hospitals. If not treated early, these two diseases can become fatal at one stage. There have been reports of deaths of some patients as they went to hospital at the last stage. The health department is doing its best to make the people aware of the hazards of contracting dengue. We see relevant publicity materials in newspapers and in electronic media almost on a daily basis.      

Healthcare is one of the basic rights of every citizen. A nation can never move ahead unless affordable healthcare is accessible to one and all. The not-so-good state of our healthcare sector is apparent from the thousands of preventable deaths that are reported in the country. The upper class can afford to travel abroad to seek treatment but for the common people a lot still remains to be done.


It is high time that this 

sector is assigned more

resources so that it 

can improve further


The government’s dedication in improving the quality of healthcare is commendable and we can see the effects in many of the indicators such as reduced maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate, child (under-5 years) mortality rate, malnutrition, stunting rate and low- birth weight rate. The average life expectancy has increased in our country and we have achieved significant success in ensuring the health and wellbeing of infants and children.

The increased budget allocation for Health Services Division and the Health Education and Family Welfare Division in the 2019-20 fiscal year is a ray of hope for the state of healthcare in the country. It is high time that this sector is assigned more resources so that it can improve further. 

However, there is still scope for improvement of the medical services available in our country. The government must ensure greater emphasis on research and development in the sector. Mental health, women’s health and reproductive health is also greatly lacking in our country due to stigma and cultural perceptions. The government must ensure that these areas of healthcare are not neglected.