Govt working to identify gaps in health sector: Zubaida Rahman

Prime Minister's wife and Vice President of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation, Dr. Zubaida Rahman today said the government is working to identify existing gaps in the country's health sector and take necessary steps to address them.

"The government is committed to ensuring quality healthcare for every citizen and greater involvement of young people is being emphasized to achieve this goal," she said.

Dr. Zubaida was speaking as the chief guest at a workshop titled "The Path to Becoming a Health Entrepreneur in Bangladesh" held at a hotel in Gulshan in the capital.

Emphasising the role of the younger generation, she said young people should be developed as health entrepreneurs to help address both existing and emerging challenges in the country's healthcare system.

"We can provide young people with training and mentorship opportunities so they can transform their innovative ideas into reality. For this, they need to be connected with the health system, researchers, social and private-sector innovators, investors and government institutions," she said.

She also stressed the role of universities in fostering innovation, saying educational institutions should create an environment where students learn through practical work and teachers collaborate across disciplines.

"We must prepare the new generation to face future challenges and encourage them to take innovative initiatives," she added.

Dr. Zubaida said health entrepreneurship is not merely about launching businesses or commercialising healthcare services, but about using creativity, evidence and discipline to solve real-life health problems by identifying gaps and developing practical solutions.

Highlighting the financial burden of healthcare, she said illness has become one of the leading causes of poverty in Bangladesh as people currently bear around 72 percent of healthcare expenses from their own pockets.

"We believe health service is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right. However, years of neglect and lack of accountability in the health sector have increased the burden on ordinary people. We are now working to ensure healthcare for all, and making healthcare services accessible to every household is one of our key priorities," she said.

Referring to the country's evolving healthcare landscape, Dr. Zubaida said Bangladesh is facing new challenges, including the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, an aging population, climate change-related health risks and rapid urbanisation.

"These challenges cannot be addressed by any single institution or sector alone. They require new thinking and stronger partnerships," she added.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain and Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Health Affairs Dr. S.M. Ziauddin Haider also spoke at the programme.