Govt proposes Tk 259b for health sector

Budget 2021-22
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Finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in his budget speech in the parliament on Thursday has proposed an allocation of Tk 327.31 billion (32,731 crore) for the health and family welfare sector in the next fiscal year, which was Tk 292.45 billion (29,245 crore) in the fiscal 2020-21.

The budget proposal includes allocation of Tk 259.14 billion (25,914 crore) for the health services division. Tk 228.84 billion (22,884 crore) was proposed in the fiscal 2020-21. The allocation was finally revised at Tk257.37 billion (25,734 crore) as the pandemic led to increased expenditures.

“Giving an utmost priority to the programmes and steps taken by the government to address the Covid-19 pandemic, I propose to increase the allocation," he said in the parliament.

In the fiscal 2020-21, the government set up an 'Integrated Health Science Research and Development Fund' for the development of research in the field of health education and technology.

“Tk one billion (100 crore) will be allocated in the coming financial year, and necessary steps will be taken to operatinalise the fund,” he said.

He added that a number of plans have been undertaken to develop the health sector to address the impact of COVID-19.

The implementation of some of these projects will continue in the next financial year.

Different projects are being implemented with the funding of $ 600 million from the World Bank, $ 100 million from the Asian Development Bank and $ 100 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The ‘COVID-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness’ project, supported by the World Bank and AIIB, is in progress.

Purchase of vaccines, installation of oxygen lines, setting up of ICUs and CCUs and other activities are being taken up under the project, he said.

As part of the plan to set up 14,890 community clinics across the country, constructions of 14,384 clinics have already been completed of which 13,881 are currently providing services, he added.