(BSS) - Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Affairs S.M. Ziauddin Haider today said that the government plans to recruit 100,000 new health workers and 25,000 midwives over the next three to four years to ensure primary healthcare services of the people.

He said the government aims to transform the healthcare system from a treatment-centered model to a prevention-centered one by strengthening primary healthcare services. To achieve this goal, plans have been taken to recruit the additional health workers and midwives within the next few years, he added.

He disclosed the information while briefing journalists on contemporary issues at the secretariat here after returning from an official visit to Lisbon in Portugal.

Haider also said initiatives are underway to establish primary healthcare units at the union and ward levels, upgrade upazila health complexes to 100-bed facilities and ensure integrated services for the mothers and newborns.

The Prime Minister’s special assistant noted that special emphasis would be placed on training -- before the large-scale recruitment of midwives -- in order to improve the service quality at the grassroots level.

The government has already taken necessary steps to enhance the quality of training, he added.

Highlighting the government’s new plan for grassroots healthcare infrastructure, he said that a strong nationwide primary healthcare network would be established at the union level. Under the new network, existing community clinics and its health workers would provide healthcare services directly to people in their homes.

Haider also made it clear that no community clinics would be shut down.

“Community clinics will continue to operate. However, this new primary healthcare network will work to expand services further and bring healthcare closer to people’s doorsteps,” he said.

He further stated that the government’s healthcare plans were presented at the 34th International Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives held in Lisbon, Portugal. He participated as a keynote speaker at the opening session of the conference, which was attended by representatives from 122 countries.