As part of the UHC Forum’s flagship multi-stakeholder debate series, Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), with the support of UNICEF, organised a health debate on 6th February 2025 focusing on the role of the private sector in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Chaired and moderated by PPRC Chairman and UHC Forum Convener Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, the discussion brought together an esteemed panel of experts from government institutions, private hospitals, NGOs, academia and research organisations. The debate explored pathways to strengthen private sector participation in primary healthcare. This remains an area currently avoided by many private hospitals due to its limited profitability, despite being a core responsibility of the government.

During the discussion, participants unpacked the complexities of defining private healthcare in Bangladesh. They noted that the term includes a wide range of actors such as for-profit entities, NGOs, social businesses and informal providers. A key issue raised was the absence of a comprehensive accreditation system for hospitals, doctors and diagnostic labs. Experts highlighted the urgent need for quality assurance, data sharing and effective public-private partnerships to move the UHC agenda forward. There was strong agreement that people’s healthcare needs now go beyond access and include affordability and quality. With out-of-pocket expenditures creating excessive financial burdens, discussants called for deeper analysis to identify how much of these costs are medically necessary and how much results from unethical commercial motives.The discussion also highlighted the lack of self-governance within the private healthcare sector and concerns about the standards of medical education. 

To improve service delivery, participants explored collaborative models where public hospitals work with private providers on service provision and equipment procurement. Participants supported the idea of establishing a universal regulatory body to enforce pricing standards, ensure quality accreditation and create a grievance redress mechanism for patients. The conversation also emphasised the role of digital healthcare solutions. Participants noted that healthcare is fundamentally a management issue and that leveraging data is essential for promoting accountability, efficiency and service expansion.

In his concluding remarks, Dr Zillur Rahman underscored the importance of avoiding blame-based narratives and instead focusing on productive collaboration between public and private sectors. He stated that incentivising private sector involvement in primary healthcare must become a priority in national health reform efforts. Reflecting on the aspirations sparked by the civic mobilisation of July and August 2024, he called on all stakeholders to work together to elevate healthcare into a compelling national agenda with practical policies and coordinated action. Dr Rahman also noted that the key takeaways from this discussion would be shared with the Health Reform Commission.

Key participants in the debate included:

• Prof Liaquat Ali, Health Reform Commission
• Dr AM Shamim, Doctor of Medicine, Labaid
• Dr Lutfor Rahman, Chief Medical Planner, Grameen Telecom Trust
• Prof Dr Emran Bin Yunus, Director, CSCR (Chittagong)
• Dr Md Moinul Ahsan, Director (Hospital), DGHS
• Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad, Former DG-Health
• Dr Md Aminul Hasan, UHC Forum
• Dr Shaila Purvin, CEO, Surjer Hashi Network
• Md Zainal Abedin Tito, Line Director (HSM), DGHS
• Dr Manzur Kadir Ahmed, Senior Director, Gonoshasthaya Kendra
• Shadab Mahmud, Sensiv Diagnostics Lab
• Prof Khondaker A Mamun, CMED Health
• Dr Iqbal Anwar, ICDDR,B
• Mohan Raihan, Saaol Heart Centre
• Dr Atiya Sharmeen, MSF
• Dr Aftabuddin, Chairperson, PHF
• Nahid Akhter Jahan, IHE, University of Dhaka
• Maya Vandecent, UNICEF

PPRC will be sharing the highlights of this critical discussion with the Health Reform Commission to inform policy direction and support action toward a more inclusive and quality-focused healthcare system in Bangladesh.

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