Govt to reach healthcare to people\\\'s doorsteps: Hasina

Terming healthcare a fundamental right, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Monday that her government would continue its tireless efforts in reaching the healthcare services to the doorsteps of the people, reports UNB.
"Providing healthcare services to the people is a constitutional obligation and my government would do whatever necessary to fulfil this obligation," she said, formally inaugurating the World Health Day programmes from the Cabinet Division meeting room at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister talked through video conferencing with Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim and State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Bir Bahadur, both of whom were in Bandarban.
The World Health Day is being observed in the country in a befitting manner as elsewhere in the globe this year with the theme: Vector Borne Diseases.
Hasina said Bangladesh has already made commendable achievement in controlling and eradicating vector borne diseases including malaria, kala- azar, filaria and dengue, as her government implemented various effective measures.
In this connection, she mentioned the assistance of development partners concerned and the World Health Organisation to make the government's efforts a success.
Hasina said a large number of people - most of them children - die of vector borne diseases across the world.
As a tropical country, Bangladesh is affected by various vector borne diseases, she said, adding that such diseases could sometimes be infected to many people causing death to a large number of them.
Hasina expressed with satisfaction that these diseases are under control following the effective measures of the government through identification of the diseases and ensuring of proper treatment.
Besides, she said, the government has been able to make 15 of the affected 19 districts free from filaria while dengue fever is now under control in the country.
BSS adds: Sheikh Hasina on the day reiterated her government's firm commitment to implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Agreement completely for further development and maintaining peace in the region.
"The (CHT) region witnessed unrest and conflict for a long time before 1996. But the past Awami League government during its tenure from 1996-2001 took initiatives for restoring peace in the region and signed the landmark peace treaty," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said most of the clauses of the peace accord have already been implemented, while some executed partially. "We would implement the treaty completely in phases," she said.
She said this while formally inaugurating the World Health Day 2014 programme through a videoconferencing. She talked to the people of Bandarban from the secretariat through the videoconferencing.
The Prime Minister said her government has given special attention to development of the CHT region as it was neglected for a long time.

The PM said a university would be set up in the CHT region to ensure higher education for its students. "A law on establishing the university has already been enacted," she said.