The Nagorik Committee 2006 organised the fourth expert group consultation meeting on 'Vision 2021 for Bangladesh: Goal 4: To have a health-endowed nation' at Cirdap auditorium in the capital. Prof Mahmuda Islam chaired the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Prof Rehman Sobhan, convener of the Nagorik Committee 2006, said only a section of people are able to get required health services at home as well as abroad but ordinary people are often deprived of it.

Elaborating on the objective of Nagorik Committee's vision 2021, he said it would empower the citizens of the country and create a sense of demand.

Lower income groups, who are not conscious about healthcare, need to be targeted and essential drugs should be made available, National Prof Brig Gen Abdul Malik said.

Calling for a social movement about healthcare, he said, "Making only good healthcare facility is not enough. Rather, we need to be aware of prevention of diseases."

Medical insurance should be introduced and quality of private medical colleges should be strictly monitored, he said.

Malik, who was an adviser to the caretaker government, said the rich people need to pay for medical services but the poor should get it free through card system.

Former cabinet secretary Mujibul Huq stressed the need for decentralisation of healthcare system to make it viable.

Earlier, making a presentation on 'Vision 2021 for Bangladesh: Goal 4: To have a health-endowed nation,' Debapriya Bhattacharya, executive director of Centre for Policy Dialogue, said budget allocation in the health sector is on the rise but it is still far below the global standard.

"We need to bring population growth at zero level by 2010 and large investments on mothers' education and children's health will be needed over the coming years," he said.

Primary healthcare service at the rural areas needs to be improved, Debapriya said, adding that an improved public health system will have a great positive impact on health indicators and lessen the pressure on the healthcare system.

Dr Rashied Mahbub, former president of Bangladesh Medical Association, said health sector has become a good place for those who are involved in looting the people's money.

It is very much required to make essential drugs available for the people, he said.

People are paying for healthcare service but there is little possibility of developing accountability in this sector if they do not have any role to play, Syed Jahangir Haider, managing director of Research Evaluation Associates for Development, said.

It has become a common trend that health programmes introduced by the previous government is changed when a new government comes into power but it is seldom considered whether the programmes are good or bad, said Dr Sarwar Ali.

There is a serious lack of accountability in the health sector and the experts are given very insignificant role to play in decision making, he said.

There are good words about healthcare in the manifestos of the two major political parties but they would hardly implement those, Ubaidur Rob, country director of Population Council, said.

Fifty per cent of the total population in the country cannot afford healthcare facility and it is a big challenge to bring them under medical service, said Dr Dibalok Singha, executive director of Dustha Shasthya Kendra.

Reaching healthcare service to the poor needs special attention and there is a need for bringing accountability to ensure a minimum quality service, Dr Yasmin H Ahmed, managing director of Mary Stopes Clinic Society, said.