PM Stresses Humane Care and Equal Access to Healthcare

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday stressed the need for a humane approach to healthcare alongside modern technology, saying doctors’ empathy and respectful behaviour toward patients are essential for improving the quality of treatment.

“Technology can identify diseases, but there is no substitute for doctors’ humane behaviour in reassuring patients and understanding their fear, anxiety and mental distress,” he said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks after inaugurating a new 500-bed building at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital in Agargaon.

He called for modern medical technology to be combined with skilled healthcare professionals, good governance and empathy to build a healthcare system that is accessible, affordable and capable of providing quality services to everyone.

Tarique Rahman urged doctors and healthcare workers to listen attentively to patients, understand their psychological condition and treat them with respect and compassion.

He also emphasised the importance of trust, mutual respect and empathy among doctors, patients and their families.

“Ensuring quality healthcare and a proper treatment environment is not the sole responsibility of doctors. If doctors feel insecure, or patients and their relatives do not have trust and respect for doctors, no matter how much we improve hospital infrastructure, we will not be able to stop people from seeking treatment abroad,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the government considers access to healthcare not only a fundamental right but also an important factor in the country’s social and economic development.

He stressed that quality healthcare must be available to people regardless of where they live or their economic circumstances.

“If advanced treatment remains limited to affluent people in cities, it cannot be called a complete modern healthcare system,” he said.

Tarique Rahman said the government has taken several initiatives to provide affordable and quality healthcare to people in remote areas, low-income communities and marginalised groups.

He said the government is working to establish a modern referral system through the e-Health Card so that patients from remote areas do not have to spend large amounts of money travelling to Dhaka for treatment.

The government has also begun work to establish fully functional primary healthcare units in every union, while upazila hospitals will gradually be upgraded to 151 beds during its tenure, he said.

On child healthcare, the Prime Minister said work has begun to establish 200-bed specialised children’s hospitals in the Khulna, Barishal, Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions and in Cumilla.

“We will be able to open these five specialised children’s hospitals simultaneously next October,” he said.

Tarique Rahman said the government has allocated the highest-ever amount to the health sector in the national budget, reflecting its commitment to building a “healthy Bangladesh”.

“This is not merely a slogan. The government wants to build an effective healthcare system so that people can receive all kinds of healthcare services within the country,” he said.

However, he said government initiatives alone would not be enough to improve healthcare services. The success of the sector would ultimately depend on doctors, health experts, researchers and everyone involved in healthcare.

The Prime Minister said his government is committed to building a welfare-oriented state where no citizen would have to travel abroad for treatment and no one would be denied healthcare because of financial hardship.

“I believe that ensuring quality healthcare for ordinary people is possible through you,” he told healthcare professionals.

Earlier, Tarique Rahman inaugurated the new 500-bed building by unveiling a plaque on the hospital premises. His wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, was present at the ceremony.

The new facility brings the hospital’s total bed capacity to 1,000 and is expected to significantly expand specialised treatment for patients with neurological diseases.

After the inauguration, the Prime Minister visited several departments, including the operation theatres and intensive care unit (ICU), and inquired about the treatment facilities and services available to patients.

He later addressed doctors, nurses and other staff members of the hospital.