Canadian public health expert Professor Dr. Alan Katz underscored the need of healthcare as a basic human right and reiterated that the state should focus its activities taking the issue into due consideration. He recently delivered lectures at Dhaka University and North South University, Dhaka.
Center for Natural Resources Studies (CNRS) in association with the University of Manitoba, Canada and Dhaka University (DU) jointly organized the series of lectures in Dhaka recently.
Professor Dr. Alan Katz, Director of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy
While sharing experiences of his country, Katz, Director of Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Professor of Community Health Sciences and Family Medicine of Canada, said his countrymen get benefits due to the proper importance is given to the sector by the government.
Stressing on research and population-based data, Katz said those who fall sick suffer a lot and they cannot contribute to the country’s development. Effective policy and healthcare with required investment can play an important role in solving the problem to a large extent.
Referring to reform in the health sector, he said population illness prevention, financing the healthcare system, primary care reform, regionalisation of service delivery, pharmaceutical policy, health human resources, measuring quality, governance and accountability mechanisms and home care should be considered.
Katz hoped that Bangladesh can also gain a lot in the health sector if it comes up with necessary initiative giving proper importance to the health right of people.
“Right political decision along with a positive attitude of high government officials is a must to develop health sector,” added Katz.
Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, DU, attended the program as the Chief Guest. Dr Hamid, Department of Health Policy, Prof Rumana Haque of Economics Department of DU, Prof Dr Monirul Islam, Chairman, Department of Sociology, DU, Prof C Emdad Haque, Professor, University of Manitoba (Natural Resources Institute), Canada, Prof Dr Khaleda Islam, Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, DU, Dr Rezaul Karim, among others, spoke on the occasion.
On the other hand, Prof. Dr. G U Ahsan, Dean of Public Health of North South University, Prof. Dr. Akhter and other teachers and students of Public Health department were present at the event of that university.
