The government is working to prepare a list of essential medical tests in order to set their prices and bring down healthcare expenses, said professor Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the interim government chief adviser, on Tuesday.
Speaking at a views-exchange meeting at an auditorium in the capital鈥檚 Shahbagh, he said that a committee had already been formed to set medicine prices.
鈥業f we can control the prices of drugs and medical tests, healthcare expenditure will decrease significantly,鈥� he said while responding to questions from reporters.
Sayedur said that the health ministry opened a new web site, www.changehealthbd.com, to get public opinion that would help them take the reform initiative.
He urged people to give their opinions there that would help them set priorities and reform agenda.
He said that they might not do many things for the health sector, but they had a good start.
鈥業f the people can make the political parties come up with commitment in the forthcoming election, that will be our achievement,鈥� he said.
He said that as the health system of the country was going throw a huge reform in terms of reducing the dependency on the donors, sometimes people were suffering.
He said that the government had taken a 鈥榤ilestone鈥� decision to go out from the Tk 1,08,000 crore donor dependencies.
Sayedur said that physicians were among the most deprived professionals among all the cadres. The government took a number of initiatives to motivate them by giving them promotions.
鈥楢lready some were promoted and rest will get promotions too,鈥� he said.
Despite all of these, many doctors were going abroad and changing their professions. He said that average salary of a doctor was Tk聽30,000 that could not attract youths.
He said that they were working effortlessly to overcome the manpower crisis in the health sector. As part of that over 3,500 nurses would be appointed in different health facilities.
To curb corruption, health secretary Md Saidur Rahman said that they had taken actions against the corruption accused.
Among others, Directorate General of Health Services director general professor Md Abu Jafor spoke at the event.
