Speakers at a discussion in the city on Friday placed emphasis on taking preventive measures minimizing the use of medicines to cure diseases, reports agency.

The also called on all concerned to see healthcare from the humanitarian point of view without considering it a commercial commodity.

The roundtable discussion on the role of health professionals and patients in the development of health sector was jointly organized by Pharmacy Graduates Association (PGA) and Doctors for Health and Environment (DHE) at the National Press Club.

Former president of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Dr Rashid-e-Mahbub presided over the meeting while Dhaka University Professor ABM Faruq, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) General Secretary Kazi Faruq, and former BMA executive committee member Dr Mushtak Hossain presented separate papers.

Former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Prof AK Azad Chowdhury, BSMMU Vice- Chancellor Prof Dr M Tahir, Bangladesh Diabetic Association President Prof Dr A K Azad Khan, Dhaka Community Hospital Chairman Dr Kazi Qamruzzaman, Bangladesh Pharmaceuticals Association Secretary General Nazmul Hassan, Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad Secretary General Dr M Iqbal Arsalan, Country Director of Save the Children, Australia, Laila Khandaker and pharmacists Rezaul Islam and Sazzadul Bari Ujjal took part in the discussion.

The speakers suggested inclusion of the issue of prevention of all diseases in the curriculum of health science. They stressed the need for developing ‘hospital pharmacy’ in all public and private hospitals.

The meeting adopted some recommendations for development of health sector in the country. The recommendations will be submitted to the government.