The Health Ministry’s expenditure on development projects in the first quarter of the current fiscal year remained below 2 percent despite a nearly doubled budget allocation, raising questions about its ability to absorb and utilize increased funds effectively. Between July and September, the Health Services Division (HSD) spent Tk 107 crore out of its Tk 6,014 crore Annual Development Programme (ADP) allocation, representing just 1.78 percent utilization.

Similarly, the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division (MEFWD) expended Tk 102 crore from its Tk 5,499 crore allocation, achieving an implementation rate of 1.86 percent during the same period. These figures pertain solely to the direct ADP funds earmarked for development projects and do not account for the Tk 23,577 crore in block allocations assigned to both divisions.

Compared to the overall ADP implementation rate of 3.89 percent across government sectors during the first quarter, the Health Ministry’s performance remains significantly lower. Data from the Implementation Monitoring reveals that this sluggish spending pattern aligns with a persistent trend observed in previous years, characterized by consistent underutilization of development funds within the ministry.

The ministry's low expenditure rate in the initial quarter has sparked concerns over its capacity to execute and manage its expanded budget effectively, particularly as the government has nearly doubled the ministry’s development allocations in this fiscal year. This lag in utilization may affect ongoing and planned health-sector projects, potentially delaying improvements in medical services and infrastructure.