The James P Grant School of Public Health, with the support of USAID’s Health Finance and Governance project, in collaboration with the Health Economics Unit, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, organised a discussion session with the officials of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on 3 October 2016. The session was chaired by Dr A.K. Azad, Director General, DGHS, who demanded more effective advocacy to improve the health sector and its responsiveness. He also suggested that funds could be given to upazila health complexes or to medical college hospitals with a set of targets, such as ensuring optimum coverage, reducing disease prevalence rate.
Moreover, funds could be disbursed by considering the results of the upazila health complexes or to medical college hospitals. Dr Azad further reiterated that universal health coverage may aim to ensure health care service for every individual, but the services of community clinics are not being used by the people due to a variety of reasons. He stressed that government facilities for health care are not well prepared to address the people’s need and as a result, individuals are increasingly moving towards the private sector in seeking health care services.