DHAKA – The cabinet today approved a proposed law to run the government’s landmark nationwide community clinics under a trust and make the facilities more effective health service centres with people’s participation and medical referral systems.
“The cabinet in its weekly meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair . . . gave approval to the draft of the ‘Community Clinic Health Service Trust Act, 2018’,” Cabinte Division’s Secretary for coordination and reform NM Ziaul Alam told a news briefing.
He added: “Once the law is passed all community clinics at the grassroots would function under the trust which are now being operated under a project.”
Alam said under the law the government would provide a one-time allocation to the trust fund while the trust would collect funds from any individual or organization and ensure proper use of the fund.
The existing number of rural-based community clinics is 13,861 which so far provided healthcare service to 620.57 million patients while officials said the government planned to elevate the number of these facilities to 14,890.
“The cabinet observed that the community clinics are playing very important role in reaching the health services to the rural people across the country,” Alam said.
He said the draft law was actually placed before the cabinet for approval in principal but considering the importance of the law the council of ministers gave its final approval to the draft with some correction after elaborate discussion.
Alam said the very objectives of the law were to ensure participation of the people in the coordinated primary health service providing activities and establish referral system with other hospitals for better treatment.
The proposed law suggests that every community clinic would establish an effective referral system with union health centers, upazila health complexes, district level hospitals, specialized hospitals and medical college hospitals.
The new law suggested the health service providers to be made permanent and they would get other benefits like regular government employees.
The secretary said under the law necessary rules would be enacted with regards to enhancement of salary, gratuity, retirement allowances and other benefits.
“The trust will have a national advisory council headed by the Prime Minister and a board under the chairmanship of a renowned person to be nominated by the Prime Minister,” he said.
The 14-member board will have a managing director with the status of an additional secretary or equivalent.
Apart from the community clinic issue, the meeting reviewed the quarterly progress report on implementation of cabinet decisions for the period April to June 2018.
According to the report 75 percent or 63 out of 84 decisions were implemented during the period compared to 71.62 percent during the corresponding period of 2017.
During the time, three policies were framed, eight laws were enacted in parliament and two MoU were signed with other countries. At the beginning of the meeting the Prime Minister unveiled the cover of a book on the rare photographs and historical information on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s jail life.
Alam said the book titled ‘3053 Din’ (tin hajar tipanna din) was published under the auspices of home ministry’s Security Services Division and management of the Department of Prison.
The cabinet adopted obituary reference for former Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad SM Mostafa Rashidi Suja and first minister on Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Kolpo Ranjan Chakma.
The cabinet congratulated Bangladesh national cricket team for its recent victory over West Indies in one day international series.
