REJAUL KARIM BYRON

The government plans to set up at least one Urban Primary Health and Nutrition Centre in every ward of Dhaka North, Dhaka South, and Chattogram city corporations for residents deprived of care due to fragmented delivery of services.

It has chalked up a Tk 1,157 crore project titled “Expanding Access to Integrated Health Care for Urban Population”, under which a total of 170 centres are expected to be established.

A Planning Commission official told The Daily Star that the proposal is likely to be placed at this week’s ECNEC meeting for approval.

According to the proposal, the centres will be linked under a hub‑and‑spoke model -- a centralised system where services flow from a “hub” to peripheral “spokes” to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

A senior Planning Commission official said the government expects the World Bank to provide over Tk 900 crore in loan assistance, along with technical support, for the planned project.

Discussions between the World Bank and the Economic Relations Division have already been finalised. Once approved by ECNEC, the loan proposal will be placed before the World Bank board for endorsement.

Officials said the government plans to provide 80 percent of medicines free of cost from the urban centres. Adequate manpower, including doctors, will be deployed in two shifts, while essential medicines will be supplied in line with the updated Essential Medicine List.

The proposal also outlines coordination among Government Outdoor Dispensaries, health institutions under the Local Government Division, and referral facilities to ensure quality primary healthcare. Capacity building, supply of medicines, medical equipment, and logistics will be strengthened.

All centres will be integrated into the District Health Information Software (DHIS‑2) platform to ensure real‑time data entry and access.

The document notes Bangladesh’s rapid urban growth, with the urban population rising from 27 percent in 2011 to over 40 percent in 2023. By 2030, the figure is projected to reach 86.5 million, and by 2050, more than 100 million.

Dhaka alone is expected to grow from 18.9 million people in 2011 to 28 million by 2030. The megacity currently accounts for 44.26 percent of the country’s urban population and contributes 36 percent to national GDP.

Urban primary healthcare in Bangladesh remains fragmented, with the health and family welfare ministry overseeing rural areas while urban centres fall under the local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry.

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