Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque on Friday said the health sector won’t face any fund crisis to tackling the Covid-19 situation. “Fund will be given to the health sector whenever the money is required,” he said at a virtual post-budget press conference. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal also addressed the press conference, arranged a day after he placed the proposed budget for 2021-22 fiscal in Parliament. Dr Razzaque said the Finance Ministry also repeatedly assured that "money won’t be a problem," or "allocation won’t matter to face the corona." He said the Prime Minister repeatedly advocated a balance between lives and livelihoods - the cardinal choice for policymakers in the pandemic era. Some on the left however, point to at least the possibility that this is a false dichotomy.  Not Dr Razzaque though. Also read: New budget unveiled with focus on protecting lives and livelihoods "If the livelihood is not taken care of, many people will be severely affected or even die (without catching Covid)," he added. The Agriculture Minister said the country’s economy is now vibrant and on a strong footing amid the growing reserves of foreign currency. “The way the whole world is facing it (Covid-19), I think this government will also face it in that way. Money will not be a problem for it,” he said. About the budgetary allocation for the health sector, Senior Secretary of Finance Division Abdur Rouf Talukder also said some Tk 14,200 crore has been kept in the proposed budget for procuring Covid vaccines during the upcoming fiscal year. “We’ll provide the fund, if the health sector needs more money,” he said. Also read: New budget: Tracking prices going up and down The Finance Secretary said the budgetary allocation for the Health Services Division has increased by 13.2 percent for the upcoming fiscal year, compared to the outgoing fiscal year. But the overall budget size has risen by 6.3 percent. “So, the growth in the allocation for the health sector is more than double,” he said. Replying to a question over the inability to spend more money on the health sector, Abdur Rouf said the government identified two problems – lack of capacity among the officials engaged in procurement, and mismatch between demand and supply during procurement. He said the government will address the two problems in the upcoming fiscal year as it is going to take measures to provide training for the officials. Planning Minister MA Mannan, PM’s Economic Affair Adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman, Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazle Kabir, and National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, among others, spoke at the conference.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Jatiya Party on Wednesday demanded the government make an adequate allocation for the health sector in the next national budget. “People want a budget for health protection. So, an adequate allocation should be made for the health sector in the next budget,” said Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader. In a statement, he said the Covid crisis has exposed how fragile the country's healthcare is. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal will present the national budget for 2021-22 fiscal year in Parliament early next month. He said the government must modernise all the upazila health complexes with all facilities for conducting necessary tests. “It’s also necessary to ensure advanced treatment and install ICU beds in all district-level government hospitals,” GM Quader said. He also urged the government to appoint a necessary number of doctors, nurses, and medical technologists and technicians in public hospitals. GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said patients should be given free life-saving medicine in public hospitals. “No one will go abroad for treatment if better treatment is ensured in the country. We want not a single patient to die without treatment,” he observed. The Jatiya Party chief said the main objective of their party’s politics is to ensure all rights of people, including that of having treatment.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday alleged that the health sector has co collapsed amid coronavirus pandemic due to ‘widespread corruption and irregularities, putting the entire nation in danger. "On one hand, they’re lying about corona tests and indulging in corruption and irregularities over treatment on the other, leaving the country in jeopardy,” he said. He came up with the allegation while inaugurating an app developed by Ziaur Rahman Foundation to provide healthcare services to coronavirus-infected patients. Also read: Intensify efforts to procure vaccines for alternative sources: BNP The BNP leader said, “We saw a few days ago that two hospitals have disappeared. The health sector has collapsed due to widespread corruption in the health ministry during the coronavirus pandemic.” Fakhrul said the government has announced stimulus packages to ensure people’s livelihoods and tackle the Covid fallouts. “But they’re resorting to corruption there as well. No arrangement has been made for easing the public sufferings.” Also read: Govt doing business in Covid’s name: BNP He said the government is hardly concerned about ensuring people’s livelihoods and security of their lives since it has no accountability.  “The government has completely become isolated from people. The entire nation has been suffering due to the irresponsibility of the current regime.” The BNP leader alleged that the coronavirus has spread in the country due to the government’s extreme incompetence and ignorance since the beginning of the pandemic. "Unfortunately, no effective step has so far been taken by the government to ensure proper treatment of the Covid patients and develop the treatment system.” Also read: Engaging single organisation in buying vaccines a ‘suicidal’ move: BNP He said it is not possible to deal with a serious crisis like the corona pandemic without a democratic government. “We need to establish a democratic governing system and a democratic government and parliament to ensure accountability and state responsibility towards people. Stating that their party chairperson Khaleda Zia has been receiving treatment at a city hospital for her serious illness, Fakhrul urged all to pray for her speedy recovery.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Tuesday urged the government to make adequate allocations in the upcoming budget for taking mega projects to improve the country's healthcare system. “Mega projects need to be implemented to improve Bangladesh’s healthcare system. The implementation of mega projects in the health sector has become imperative considering the humanitarian aspects and people’s basic rights,” he said. In a statement, GM Quader said, “People want to see an outline and necessary allocations in the upcoming budget for implementing mega projects in the health sector.” Also read: Procuring vaccine from one source was a wrong move: GM Quader He said the ICU facilities must be ensured in public hospitals in every district of the country to save people's lives. The Jatiya Party chief said necessary steps should be taken for ensuring the facilities for all types of medical tests in all the government hospitals, including the upazila health complexes. “All the hospitals should have adequate beds with the facility of free supply of medicines. The necessary number of doctors, nurses and technologists should be recruited as soon as possible,” he observed. Also read: Eid-Ul-Fitr: JaPa leader GM Quader greets PM GM Quader said the coronavirus pandemic has exposed how helpless even the developed world when it comes to healthcare systems. ”So, better treatment facilities must be ensured in the country. If we can do that, no one will have to go abroad for treatment. It’ll save people's time and money in addition to ensuring the basic rights of ordinary people,” he added.

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday asked the government to submit a report on the measures taken to implement the recommendations made by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to curb corruption in the country’s health sector.

A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Sunday seeking its directives to the Ministry of Health to implement the 25-point recommendation of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) after identifying 11 areas of corruption in the Health Service Division.

BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Wednesday alleged that the country’s health sector itself has got ‘infected with coronavirus’ due to failures of the government.

Bangladesh has urged the United States to invest in Bangladesh's health sector under their IDFC Fund.