Dhaka: Renowned cardiologist and Ziaur Rahman Foundation (ZRF) Vice President Dr. Zubaida Rahman emphasized the critical need for the healthcare system to identify health risks and diseases before they become severe, asserting that healthcare should be considered a fundamental human right rather than a privilege.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Dr. Zubaida made these remarks while addressing a special international seminar titled 'Health Innovation for All: Expanding Access to Affordable and Inclusive Care' as the chief guest on the second day of the three-day 'Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026' at Novo Theatre in the capital's Agargaon. The seminar focused on leveraging technology to deliver modern healthcare at affordable costs to marginalized communities.
Dr. Zubaida underscored that the sophistication of hospitals or technological advancements alone cannot determine the quality of a country's healthcare. She highlighted the issue of patients reaching specialist hospitals only after their conditions have worsened and the lengthy distances they travel due to the unavailability of necessary services nearby. She noted that modern tertiary healthcare is becoming increasingly expensive worldwide, not just in Bangladesh.
The ZRF vice president called for healthcare to be made accessible even in the remotest corners of Bangladesh, emphasizing that more than 90,000 villages should receive accessible healthcare for every citizen. She also advocated for strengthening dengue awareness and measles vaccination programs to ensure comprehensive coverage.
Highlighting cardiovascular diseases as a leading cause of disability and death in Bangladesh, Dr. Zubaida suggested that simple lifestyle changes combined with excellent treatment facilities could significantly alter this scenario. She also called for extensive cancer awareness programs and highlighted the silent prevalence of diabetes among the population due to a lack of awareness.
Dr. Zubaida stressed the importance of connecting every screening program to confirmatory diagnosis, counseling, treatment, medicines, monitoring, and referral. She suggested that Bangladesh should begin preparing for the health needs of its aging population, including conditions like dementia and Parkinson's disease.
She advocated for a health vision based on the principle that quality healthcare should not be a privilege determined by income, location, or social status but should be accessible to all citizens. This vision includes strengthening primary healthcare, bringing care closer to home, expanding preventive programs, developing the health workforce, and gradually increasing public investment in health to 5 percent of the gross domestic product.
Dr. Zubaida highlighted the planned recruitment of 100,000 health workers, particularly emphasizing the opportunities this presents for women and the potential for these workers to support screening, maternal and child health, health education, chronic disease management, and community referrals. She pointed out the need for a smooth referral system from community and primary care facilities to district and specialist hospitals.
The ZRF vice president also called for a nationally coordinated system covering voluntary blood donation, safe collection, infectious disease screening, component separation, storage, transportation, and complete traceability from donor to patient. She mentioned the need to move towards establishing a national plasma transport technology.
Dr. Zubaida concluded by emphasizing that innovation is crucial to these efforts, noting that the most valuable innovations are those that solve real problems for patients. She highlighted Bangladesh's existing strengths in research, pharmaceuticals, digital capabilities, and entrepreneurship, and called for better connections between these elements to build an inclusive national healthcare system.
The three-day fair, held under the theme 'Innovate to Market,' will conclude on Monday. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the event, which features participants from various universities and research institutions across the country, alongside innovators.