Workshop for Expanding Primary Healthcare Access to Underserved Communities in Bangladesh

On December 07, 2024, the Achieving Sustainability Towards Healthcare Access (ASTHA) project of Swisscontact Bangladesh organised a workshop on the topic “Opportunities and Challenges of Primary Healthcare in Bangladesh” at the Hotel Sarina Dhaka. The workshop was graced by the presence of Dr Abu Muhammad Zakir Hussain, Chairperson, Community Clinic Health Support Trust (CCHST), MoH&FW, as the respected Chief Guest. The special guest panel included Dr Md. Rizwanur Rahman, Additional Director General (Admin), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), MoH&FW; Mohammad Nora Alam Siddique, Additional Secretary (ME Wing), Medical Education and Family Welfare Division (MEFWD), MoH&FW; Mohammad Abdus Salam Khan, Additional Secretary, MEFWD, MoH&FW; and A.K.M. Nurunnabi Kabir, Managing Director (Additional Secretary), CCHST, MoH&FW.

During the workshop, the participants from the different directorates and departments of MoH&FW discussed the key challenges in the primary healthcare system in Bangladesh and came up with recommendations on how to improve it at the rural level. The recommendations include the recruitment of community paramedics to address the critical staffing shortages at the union-level healthcare facilities and strengthen the union-level health infrastructure to minimise out-of-pocket expenditures. Furthermore, participants proposed a one-stop health service system at the upazila level, building on the UHID framework. This approach would reduce dependency on urban healthcare facilities and minimise out-of-pocket expenses for rural populations.

The respected Chief Guest, Dr Abu Muhammad Zakir Hussain, concluded the workshop by urging stakeholders and policymakers to review the capacity of community-based healthcare practitioners and explore the potential of recruiting government-approved community paramedics at union and upazila-level healthcare centres. The participants expressed their appreciation for ASTHA’s efforts, noting that the workshop provided a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and develop practical solutions.