Minister of State for Health, MA Muhit has said the opposition frequently talks about reforms and the July Charter, but only supports reforms that would give it a share of power.
The state minister made the remarks today, Sunday, while taking part in the discussion on the proposed budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year in the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament).
Referring to the opposition's role, MA Muhit said, “They have not spoken for a single day about reforming the health sector. A Health Sector Reform Commission was formed. After careful consideration, it produced a number of recommendations. I would have been pleased if our opposition had discussed the commission’s report here in parliament.”
In his speech, the state minister highlighted several challenges facing the health sector. He said 71 per cent of deaths in Bangladesh were caused by non-communicable diseases.
Another major challenge, he added, was the threat of epidemics and pandemics.
Describing the rising cost of healthcare as a major challenge, MA Muhit said patients in Bangladesh bear nearly 80 per cent of total healthcare expenditure out of their own pockets. “By comparison, the figure is only 10 per cent in Thailand and around 18 per cent in the Maldives.”
Stating that the primary objective of the proposed health budget was to overhaul the country's weakened healthcare system, the state minister said the government wanted to establish an integrated health system under which people would have access to free and affordable healthcare regardless of their economic status.
Noting that the health sector budget had nearly doubled, MA Muhit said the proposed budget contained no plans for the unplanned construction of hospitals or other buildings.
