Sixty new projects involving about TK 38 thousand crore in the health sector will help give health services a good shape.
A senior official of the Planning Ministry said the government has given more emphasis on development of the country's health sector due to the Covid-19 crisis.
In this context, 60 new development projects are coming in the fields of health, nutrition, and population and family welfare to transform the health system of the country, he informed.
The cost of these projects has been estimated at Tk 38,185.26 crore, he said while adding that the Planning Commission has added these to the list of unapproved new projects in the Annual Development Program (ADP) for the next fiscal year 2020-21.
“It will be recommended to process the project from this list throughout the next fiscal year considering its importance in phases,” he mentioned.
The planning ministry official said the projects will help strengthen Bangladesh's health system by providing urgent assistance with health equipment, medical supplies, diagnostic systems, and the health workforce.
In this context, the former senior secretary of the Planning Division Md Nurul Amin said, ‘There are many benefits to having a project on the list. This is called a new project pipeline.”
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was not possible to check and select well before the ADP was created, he informed.
We have included what has been sent from the ministry, he added.
However, these projects will be screened by the Planning Commission in July, Amin said adding that the priority list will be created according to importance.
He hopes, “The highest priority projects will be processed for approval in phases first.”
According to the Planning Commission sources, out of a total of 60 projects, five are under the Bangladesh Army.
The cost of these has been estimated at Tk 1,066.73 crore.
Besides, the two projects of Bangladesh Police will cost Tk 1,436 crore.
The cost of one project of the Coast Guard is Tk 119.88 crore while the estimated cost of 11 projects of the Health Services Department is Tk 12,730.41 crore.
On the other hand, the estimated cost of 19 projects of the Ministry of Social Welfare is about Tk 600 crore.
Besides, the cost of a project of the Department of Narcotics is Tk 102.48 crore and the estimated cost of 18 projects of the Department of Health, Education and Family Welfare is Tk 19,752 crore.
The cost of three projects of Population and Family Welfare sub-sector is Tk 1,789.26 crore.