Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum emphasized that the spirit of July-August Uprising must be upheld as the country moves forward in eliminating all forms of discrimination.

To address the existing challenges in the health sector, she called for collective effort.

She made these remarks as the chief guest at the inauguration of the Bangladesh Health Workforce Strategy 2024, organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Health Services Division and the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 13, at the CIRDP auditorium in the capital.

The Health Adviser said that while there is a shortage of skilled workforce, it is equally important to focus on the proper utilization of the existing workforce.

“Currently, there is a shortage of nurses in Chattogram and Sylhet regions. If someone from Rangpur is posted in Sylhet or Chattogram, how long will they stay there? Nurses currently have no career path. We need to plan their future career paths properly,” she added.

She said, “In addition to incentives, social recognition is also necessary. If we can offer recognition and respect, students will be more motivated to pursue health-related fields.”

Dr. Md. Saeedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, spoke as a special guest and described the Bangladesh Health Workforce Strategy 2024 as a timely and time-bound plan that outlines when and where specific goals will be achieved.

The event was chaired by Mohammad Sayedur Rahman, Secretary of the Health Services Division, and was also attended by Dr. Sarwar Bari, Secretary of the Health Education Division, Professor Dr. Md. Abu Jafar, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services, WHO Bangladesh Representative Ahmed Jamshed Mohammad, and Deputy Development Director of the British High Commission in Dhaka, Duncan Overfield, among others.