Photo: BSS

GOPALGANJ, June 28, 2026 (BSS)- Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Affairs Dr S M Ziauddin Haider today announced a fundamental shift in the country's conventional treatment-centric healthcare system, moving it toward a prevention-focused model.

He informed, within the next 2 to 3 years, 'Primary Healthcare Units' will be established in every union, municipality, and ward of cities across the country, and every citizen will be issued an electronic health card.

He made the remarks as the chief guest at a views exchange meeting held at the municipality auditorium following the inauguration of the 'Vitamin A Plus Campaign.' 

Gopalganj District Civil Surgeon's Office organized the event under the theme 'Feed Vitamin A, Reduce Child Mortality Risk.'

Dr Ziauddin said, "Currently, if 100 TK is spent on healthcare in our country, TK 73 to 79   comes directly out of the patient's pocket. Due to this excessive out-of-pocket medical expenditure, 40 to 50 lakh families are being pushed below the poverty line every year.” To free the nation from this situation, under the directive of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the healthcare system is being reoriented toward prevention, he added.

He further said that each Healthcare Unit to be established in every union will have at least two diploma doctors, two nurses, two midwives, one pharmacist, and one lab technician. 

Referring to a new referral system to reduce the influence of middlemen and fraudsters, Dr Ziauddin said, "Every person will have a designated Primary Healthcare Centre. If someone falls ill, they will first go there. If treatment is not possible there, the patient will be referred to the appropriate hospital through the electronic health card system. This way, patients will not have to go from hospital to hospital and fall victim to deception.”

He further informed that every Upazila Health Complex across the country will be upgraded to a 101-bed hospital, and an additional 25,000 midwives will be recruited within the next 2 to 3 years. Additionally, every Upazila hospital will have its own medical waste management system.