Accredited labs can lower overseas treatment costs: State Minister for Health

He said this while speaking as the chief guest at a policy-making seminar organized by the Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB) at the Bangladesh Institute of Management on Sunday (August 2) afternoon.

State Minister Dr. M. A. Muhit said, every year numerous people from Bangladesh go abroad for treatment. But due to lack of adequate trust in the tests of the country's laboratories, doctors abroad have the same tests done again after patients arrive. This wastes a huge amount of extra money and time on patients' treatment. If internationally recognized laboratories can be increased in the country, patients will be able to get the main tests done in Bangladesh itself, which will drastically reduce their costs.

Currently, although there are more than 10,000 laboratories in the country, only a handful have international quality recognition or accreditation. Highlighting this situation, the minister said that instead of immediately imposing pressure or legal strictness on laboratories, the owners and management boards must first be made aware. If diagnostic centre owners understand that maintaining quality will increase public trust and also make their business profitable, they themselves will be encouraged to take this accreditation.

Referring to the various challenges of the country's health system, he said that since the government took office, regular monitoring has been carried out to control the quality of hospitals and clinics. Restoring public trust is now the main goal. However, the health sector cannot move forward depending only on hospitals or doctors. Without paying attention to preventing food adulteration, accurate diagnosis of diseases and preventive healthcare, it is not possible to reduce deadly diseases like cancer, kidney or liver disease.

Among others who spoke at the event were Abdul Naser Khan, Secretary to the Ministry of Industries, and Probhat Chandra Biswas, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services, along with BAB and health sector stakeholders.