The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has urged the affluent section of the society including members of the Lions Club to supplement government efforts for overall development of the country.
She gave the call while addressing the 25th annual Multiple District Convention 2012 of Lions Club International at a city hotel on Saturday.
Hasina said that despite the sincerity and necessary initiatives, it was not possible for the government alone to solve all the problems facing the country because of resources constraint.
She expressed hope that the members of the Lions Club would stand beside the distressed humanity, saying the government would extend all-out cooperation to the Club in their public welfare endeavours.
The prime minister said that Lions Club International remained engaged for the welfare of the humanity through conducting various public welfare-oriented programmes in some 206 countries of the world over the last 94 years.
She mentioned that Lions International was working sincerely across the globe to remove blindness by 2020.
As part of the programme, Lions of Bangladesh are playing important role in removing blindness of the marginal people and providing healthcare services to the people through their own hospitals, she said.
Besides, Hasina said that the Lions Club was making immense contribution in providing healthcare services to the children, running blood bank, spreading education, alleviating poverty, rehabilitating the disabled, giving stipends to the students, and combating the adverse impacts of global climate change.
She said Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave top priority on upholding basic rights of the people and improving their living standard, and incorporated these in article 26 of the constitution.
Listing various measures of her government to reach healthcare services to the doorsteps of the people, the prime minister said 11,000 community clinics were now in operation across the country for this purpose.
She said that as part of the digitisation of healthcare services, internet connections and web cameras have been provided to the hospitals up to upazila level to offer specialised healthcare services to the people. Besides, 24-hour treatment facilities through cell phones are also available.
The Lions Club could use the infrastructure of the community clinics, she added.
Hasina said that following various steps including increase of the duration of maternity leave, infant and maternal mortality rate has dropped significantly in the country. In recognition of this, Bangladesh received UN MDG-4 award and South South award for using information technology in mother and child healthcare.
Council chairperson Lion Rezaul Hoque also spoke on the occasion.
Earlier, the prime minister was awarded with the Lions Global Medal in Humanitarian Service. She also distributed crests among 17 members of the Lions Club for their outstanding contribution in various fields.