Tareen Rahman :
Allocation in health sector in current budget is inadequate and so it will fail to meet the goals set by the ‘Universal health coverage’, opined politicians, economists, and high officials of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The four goals of the universal health coverage, which are likely to remain unfulfilled are : a strong, efficient, well-run health system, a system for financing health services, access to essential medicines and technologies and a sufficient capacity of well-trained, motivated health workers.
The budget has proposed Tk 12,695 crore for the health and family welfare ministry. Even though the figure is Tk 1,157 crore more than last fiscal year’s allocation, the sector’s share in the total budget has declined by 0.51 percent.
Economist Dr. Zillur Rahman has expressed his frustrations by saying that,’ Sustainable Development Goals’ of the government will not be fulfilled if proper allocation is not given to health sector.
Poverty scenario in Bangladesh will be increased as people have to spend more on private health expenditure. Work productivity in the
country will also be reduced due to poor health of people and employers will get less satisfaction from their workers. Overall fiscal growth may be hampered because of the bad government policy in the recently declared budget.
‘Although it was true that there was a huge governance problem in utilizing resources, that does not mean the share of allocation should be cut down ,’ observed Prof Syed Masud Ahmed, Director at the Center of Excellence for Universal Health Coverage at the Brac Institute of Global Health.
‘To sustain the development that Bangladesh has already achieved, health and education are two priority areas that need special allocation, but the proposed budget reflects the opposite .It is very unfortunate that the budget said nothing about the universal health coverage , major health issues like non-communicable diseases and ensuring quality drugs,’ Ahmed said.
Demands by rights activists is not resulting in any sign of any increase in allocation for health sector in the proposed budget which is very frustrating commented general public.
The budget proposed by Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith on Thursday highlighted the role of community clinics, expansion of telemedicine service and maternal health voucher scheme, and modernization of public health system in his budget speech.
According to him,.National Drug Policy 2014 would be updated to keep the public health system up to speed.Bangladesh’s per capita health expenditure has increased to $27, but the government’s share still remains low.
Experts say it is “not consistent” with the goal to achieve universal health coverage. Bangladesh’s National Health Accounts shows the government’s share in the health sector declined to 23 percent in 2012 from 27 percent in 2007.People pay more than 63 percent of their total health expenses from their own pocket, which is one of the highest in the region.
Allocation in health sector in current budget is inadequate and so it will fail to meet the goals set by the ‘Universal health coverage’, opined politicians, economists, and high officials of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The four goals of the universal health coverage, which are likely to remain unfulfilled are : a strong, efficient, well-run health system, a system for financing health services, access to essential medicines and technologies and a sufficient capacity of well-trained, motivated health workers.
The budget has proposed Tk 12,695 crore for the health and family welfare ministry. Even though the figure is Tk 1,157 crore more than last fiscal year’s allocation, the sector’s share in the total budget has declined by 0.51 percent.
Economist Dr. Zillur Rahman has expressed his frustrations by saying that,’ Sustainable Development Goals’ of the government will not be fulfilled if proper allocation is not given to health sector.
Poverty scenario in Bangladesh will be increased as people have to spend more on private health expenditure. Work productivity in the
country will also be reduced due to poor health of people and employers will get less satisfaction from their workers. Overall fiscal growth may be hampered because of the bad government policy in the recently declared budget.
‘Although it was true that there was a huge governance problem in utilizing resources, that does not mean the share of allocation should be cut down ,’ observed Prof Syed Masud Ahmed, Director at the Center of Excellence for Universal Health Coverage at the Brac Institute of Global Health.
‘To sustain the development that Bangladesh has already achieved, health and education are two priority areas that need special allocation, but the proposed budget reflects the opposite .It is very unfortunate that the budget said nothing about the universal health coverage , major health issues like non-communicable diseases and ensuring quality drugs,’ Ahmed said.
Demands by rights activists is not resulting in any sign of any increase in allocation for health sector in the proposed budget which is very frustrating commented general public.
The budget proposed by Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith on Thursday highlighted the role of community clinics, expansion of telemedicine service and maternal health voucher scheme, and modernization of public health system in his budget speech.
According to him,.National Drug Policy 2014 would be updated to keep the public health system up to speed.Bangladesh’s per capita health expenditure has increased to $27, but the government’s share still remains low.
Experts say it is “not consistent” with the goal to achieve universal health coverage. Bangladesh’s National Health Accounts shows the government’s share in the health sector declined to 23 percent in 2012 from 27 percent in 2007.People pay more than 63 percent of their total health expenses from their own pocket, which is one of the highest in the region.
