Healthcare System Needs Major Reform, Says President

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has stressed the need for a major overhaul of the country's healthcare system and a change in the mindset of those involved to ensure that medical services reach people at their doorsteps.

He said the country's healthcare sector needed significant changes and the system had to be restructured. A change in attitude and mindset was also essential. Although some of the country's brightest students study medicine and the government makes substantial investments in the sector, the benefits of those investments are not reaching ordinary people.

He made the remarks on Friday morning, November 13, at the inauguration of the first International Conference and Dental Expo 2026, organised by the Bangladesh Prosthodontic Society.

The president said the healthcare system had become so complicated that ordinary people were finding it difficult to access medical services. Dental treatment was also too expensive for many people to afford.

Referring to the limitations of public hospitals, he said many facilities lacked sufficient doctors and adequate medical services. In many upazilas, doctors were scarcely available. As a result, ordinary people were often forced to seek treatment from unqualified practitioners.

He urged the relevant authorities to appoint an adequate number of government doctors at healthcare centres in remote and marginalised areas.

The president also emphasised the need for young doctors to provide medical services in rural areas. He said many young doctors were reluctant to work in villages after completing their studies. Some who did take up rural postings left after a short period for further training or other work. He called for a change in this mindset.

Calling on those responsible to act sincerely to address mismanagement in the health sector, he said the situation could be changed more easily if people worked with compassion and a sense of responsibility.

The president also urged professional organisations to remain free from partisan politics. He said political influence should not interfere in professional affairs and that steps in this regard could help reduce many existing problems. He added that the practice of changing everything within professional organisations whenever the government changes should also come to an end.

He said people in the country wanted change and everyone needed to work together to bring about positive transformation. He called on all concerned to contribute from their respective positions to establish a universal and people-friendly healthcare system.

Thanking the organisers for arranging the international seminar, the president expressed hope that the Bangladesh Prosthodontic Society would further strengthen its position internationally and make important contributions to supporting dental surgeons and improving dental healthcare services in the country.

Earlier, the president unveiled the society's souvenir. The organisation also presented him with a commemorative crest.

Professor Dr. Md. Saiful Islam, president of the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council, and Professor Dr. Sakhawat Hossain, dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at Bangladesh Medical University, spoke as special guests.

The event was chaired by Professor Dr. Abu Tayeb Md. Ahsan Ullah, president of the Bangladesh Prosthodontic Society. Dr. Md. Alamgir Kabir, member secretary of the society's convening committee, delivered the welcome address. The society's general secretary, Professor Dr. Md. Masudur Rahman, also spoke.

Source: BSS