Health allocation doubles, exceeds 1.0pc of GDP

The proposed national budget for fiscal year (FY) 2026-27 has more than doubled the allocation for the health sector to Tk 694.09 billion, taking the sector's share above 1.0 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) for the first time.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury proposed an allocation of Tk 694.09 billion for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in FY2026-27, equivalent to 1.02 per cent of GDP.
In the revised budget for FY2025-26, the allocation for the sector stood at Tk 354 billion, representing 0.58 per cent of GDP.
Presenting the budget, the minister said building a healthy nation is a prerequisite for sustainable development and a prosperous Bangladesh.
However, he noted that years of neglect, corruption, political interference and a lack of accountability had left the country's health sector weak and dysfunctional.
"During the 'fascist era', a large portion of expenditure on unplanned infrastructure construction and procurement of equipment in the health sector was plundered through corruption, which is why the quality of healthcare never improved," he said.
According to the budget speech, health-sector allocations will be raised to 5.0 per cent of GDP over the next five years, reflecting the government's commitment to ensuring that no poor family is pushed into financial ruin by medical expenses.
The government plans to establish one modern primary healthcare unit in every union and one or more facilities in each urban ward across the country. Implementation of the initiative is already under way.
Under the universal health coverage programme, every citizen will be issued a modern health card linked to an Integrated Patient Management System and an Integrated Patient Referral System.
To produce skilled, compassionate and modern physicians, reforms will be introduced to the existing MBBS curriculum. The government aims to launch a new competency-based and future-oriented MBBS curriculum by 2030.
The budget speech also said steps have been taken to establish five modern training centres by utilising existing but underused infrastructure to strengthen healthcare workforce development.

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