Former health minister Zahid Maleque has said that approximately $5 billion, or Tk60,000 crore, is spent annually on overseas medical treatment, which is Tk20,000 crore more than Bangladesh’s health sector's budget.
“We want to keep this money in the country and spend this money on various development works of the country,” Manikganj-3 MP Zahid Maleque said at an event on Saturday.
The former minister said: “Awami League does not back down from any criticism, we believe in work and responsibilities. We served the people of the country during Corona. We have faced a lot of criticism, but we did not back down.
“We have given the highest number of vaccines in the world. In a country with such a high density, Bangladesh has the lowest death toll in the world. And that has been possible with the prime minister's sole effort and everyone's cooperation,” he added.
The country has increased from 15,000 doctors to 35,000 doctors, and from 18,000 nurses to 45,000 nurses. Besides, the quality of healthcare services has improved. The number of hospital beds went up from 40/50,000 to 75,000, Zahid Maleque said.
People need to have faith in the medical system. Constant surveillance in our hospitals must be enhanced. Shutting down the hospital will not fix anything; those who do wrong should face consequences, he added.
