Prioritising Healthcare Count Not Grandstanding

The Tribune     30th November 2020     Save    
QEP Pocket Notes

Context: Underinvestment in primary healthcare and negligible investment in the government's hospitals has exacerbated problems in the healthcare sector.

Problems in Healthcare Policy-Making

  • Underinvestment in healthcare: increases hardships to access the healthcare offered by the market.
    • Shortage of 20% of doctors in Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and 33% of specialists in Community Healthcare Centres (CHCs).
    • High demand for Rural Medical Practitioners (RMPs) over the BSC nursing practitioner; 80% of the people go to RMPs.
    • Bangladesh's investment in healthcare contributed to a better economic outcome.
  • De-prioritisation of primary healthcare insurance: and other public hospitals insurance scheme at the cost of secondary and tertiary care.
  • Deceitful collaboration with private hospitals: starve off the public health institutions as It restricts majority's access to affordable public healthcare services.
  • Under-investment in money and manpower: accentuates systemic challenges in the health sector.

Way Forward

  • Association of political actors and scientific judgement: at the board level of health institutions, instead of direct intervention.
  • Recognise affordable and accessible healthcare as an electoral issue: to force the government to recognise the inescapability and the responsibility involved.
  • Create healthcare demand through community-based organisations: like Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the panchayat system to ensure priority funding, proper sequencing and recognition of health issues

Conclusion: Politico-bureaucratic structure with right policies and right emphasis in terms of priority and budget to be given to the healthcare sector is must for sustainable growth of the healthcare sector.

QEP Pocket Notes