The government has proposed a record allocation of Tk 69,409 crore for the Health and Family Welfare Ministry in the 2026-27 fiscal year national budget, nearly doubling the revised allocation of the outgoing fiscal year as part of an ambitious plan to overhaul the country's healthcare system.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury announced the allocation while presenting the national budget for FY27 in Parliament on Thursday.
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The proposed allocation is equivalent to 1.02 percent of GDP while in the revised budget for fiscal year 2025–26, the allocation for this sector was Tk 35,477 crore, representing 0.58% of GDP.
The government also reiterated its commitment to gradually increase health spending to 5 percent of GDP within the next five years.
Presenting the budget, the finance minister said years of neglect, corruption, political interference and lack of accountability had weakened the country's health sector, leaving hospitals overcrowded and forcing many Bangladeshis to seek treatment abroad.
He said the government's goal is to transform the healthcare system from a treatment-oriented model to a prevention-focused one by strengthening primary healthcare services, expanding immunisation coverage, improving maternal and child healthcare, promoting nutrition and ensuring early detection of non-communicable diseases.
As part of the reform agenda, the government plans to establish a modern primary healthcare unit in every union and one or more units in each urban ward across the country. Each unit will be supported by three community clinics providing preventive healthcare, maternal and child health services, nutrition support and essential medical care at the grassroots level.
The government also announced plans to introduce a nationwide digital "Health Card" under a universal health coverage framework. The card will be linked to an integrated patient management and referral system, allowing medical records and treatment histories to be accessed from healthcare facilities across the country.
Through this, a patient's prior treatment history, investigations, medications, and medical information will be instantly accessible at any primary, secondary, or specialised healthcare facility anywhere in the country.
This will significantly improve the quality of care, reduce medical errors and unnecessary duplication of prescriptions, and enable patients to receive faster, more orderly, and more effective services. At the same time, this digital health system will play a pivotal role in establishing discipline, accountability, and efficiency across the country's entire health sector.
To strengthen secondary healthcare services, district hospitals and their affiliated upazila health complexes will be developed as integrated healthcare units.
Complex and specialised treatment, including surgeries, will be concentrated at district hospitals, while upazila health complexes will focus on maternal, neonatal, child and reproductive healthcare services.
The budget also includes plans for establishing a National Ambulance Pool and Emergency Services Network to improve patient transportation and emergency response.
To address manpower shortages, the government will immediately recruit 5,000 MBBS doctors for vacant posts in public hospitals and health institutions. In addition, recruitment of 100,000 health workers has begun, with around 80 percent of the new recruits expected to be women to strengthen community-based and preventive healthcare services.
The government has already created 941 new posts for senior staff nurses and 947 positions for midwives to expand healthcare coverage and improve maternal health services.
The finance minister said the government will continue to prioritise affordable access to quality medicines. Work is underway to update the National Essential Medicines List and formulate a modern drug policy. Support will also continue for the pharmaceutical industry, including the development of an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) industrial park and expansion of medicine and vaccine supply networks nationwide.
Referring to the recent measles outbreak, he said the government had administered measles-rubella vaccines to nearly all eligible children within its first 100 days in office, demonstrating its commitment to rebuilding the country's immunisation programme.
The budget also outlines major reforms in medical education, including modernisation of the MBBS curriculum, greater use of technology and artificial intelligence in medical training, and plans to introduce a competency-based curriculum by 2030.
To improve healthcare education, student loan facilities will be introduced for medical and dental students, while infrastructure at government medical colleges will be upgraded. Nursing education will also be expanded through new postgraduate programmes, specialised teacher training and modernised facilities.
The government further announced plans to develop a domestic medical equipment manufacturing industry to reduce import dependence and promote exports, alongside additional incentives for export-oriented pharmaceutical companies.
According to the finance adviser, the proposed measures aim to build a people-centred, accountable and modern healthcare system that ensures affordable and quality services for all citizens while reducing out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.