Zubaida Rahman Proposes Recruiting 100,000 Workers for Primary Healthcare
Dr. Zubaida Rahman, Vice President of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation and an accomplished cardiologist, has proposed recruiting one hundred thousand health workers to fundamentally strengthen primary healthcare across Bangladesh. Delivering a visionary address on Sunday morning at the plenary session titled ‘Health Innovation for All: Expanding Access to Affordable and Inclusive Care’ during the Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026 at the Bangabandhu Military Museum in Dhaka, she stressed that a nation’s healthcare standard cannot be measured solely by modern hospitals or advanced technology. Highlighting that healthcare remains a fundamental human right rather than a special privilege, she argued that the country’s medical infrastructure must pivot toward accessible community care and robust preventive strategies to alleviate the immense financial burden currently borne by ordinary citizens seeking treatment.
Addressing the structural flaws in the existing medical framework, Dr. Rahman noted that patients frequently arrive at specialized urban hospitals only after conditions turn complex because essential services are missing locally. To counteract this disparity, she emphasized that quality care must reach every citizen across more than nine thousand villages, citing localized dengue management, targeted awareness programs, and regional vaccinations as vital steps to prevent rural populations from needing to rush toward major cities. Furthermore, she advocated for increasing public investment in the health sector to nearly five percent of gross domestic product, insisting that financial reform and decentralization are indispensable for creating an equitable system that protects families from financial ruin during medical crises.
Elaborating on chronic and emerging health crises, the cardiologist pointed out that heart disease represents a leading cause of mortality in Bangladesh, and reversing this trend requires integrating healthy lifestyles and preventive measures with advanced treatment. She noted that while institutions for diabetes exist, many cases remain undiagnosed, underscoring why every screening initiative must seamlessly connect with diagnosis, counseling, treatment, medication, and ongoing monitoring. Moreover, she urged the health sector to prepare proactively for the medical challenges of an aging population, specifically addressing neurodegenerative conditions like dementia and Parkinson’s, ensuring that high-standard healthcare is universally accessible regardless of personal income or social status.
To operationalize these reforms, Dr. Rahman detailed a comprehensive plan centered on mobilizing a massive workforce and optimizing national infrastructure. The proposed recruitment of one hundred thousand health workers, with special employment opportunities reserved for women, would establish a powerful local presence dedicated to disease screening, maternal and child healthcare, health education, chronic disease management, and structured patient referrals. She explained that a functional referral system should allow a patient to transition smoothly from community care to district and specialist facilities, subsequently returning to primary care teams. Additionally, she advocated for establishing a national integrated blood system encompassing voluntary donation, rigorous screening, component separation, transportation, and dedicated plasma banks.
Concluding her address alongside notable dignitaries including State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. M. A. Muhit and Special Assistant for Health Affairs Dr. S. M. Ziauddin Haider, Dr. Rahman underscored that technological innovation must prioritize solving real patient problems over producing expensive equipment. She asserted that although Bangladesh maintains skilled physicians, a robust pharmaceutical sector, and quality research capabilities, the country fundamentally lacks strategic connectivity among these distinct pillars. Bridging the systemic gaps between research, policy validation, and practical healthcare implementation remains imperative to ensure citizens tangibly experience these transformative reforms in their daily lives.
