According to the latest report prepared by the Health Economics Unit of the health ministry, healthcare expenditure in Bangladesh rose by nearly 60 per cent from Tk 2,862 in 2015 to Tk 4,578 in 2020. Reportedly, the Out-of-Pocket (OOP) health expenses remain at 68.5 per cent of the total health expenditure in the country. It is worth mentioning that the report has cited Bangladesh as one of the countries with an extremely high rate of OOP health expenditure.
It is disheartening to note that the allocation of healthcare in Bangladesh in comparison to GDP is the lowest in South Asia. Reportedly, the country's total health expenditure is 2.34 per cent of GDP and per capita health expenditure is only 110 US dollars.
The government should strive
to ensure a better healthcare
system for all by improving
the country’s public health services
Though the incumbent government has taken many initiatives to modernise the country’s healthcare system with modern and hi-tech facilities, people are not getting the required healthcare services from many centres. The government has devised some pragmatic initiatives to ensure health facilities at grassroots, but the tendency of doing private practice by government doctors is making the task difficult. The government has taken certain steps to ensure health facilities at grassroots, but the tendency of doing private practice by government doctors is making the task difficult. In order to put an end to such unethical practices, constant vigilance from the part of the authorities concerned is a must.
Our healthcare sector has long been in dire straits and the only way to improve it by a degree that will make some difference is through massive government investment. However, improving the quality of medical care in Bangladesh has been a high priority over the last decades and a large share of the health budget in Bangladesh goes to the doctors’ pocket working with the public hospitals and clinics. Hence, evaluating the performance of doctors has become crucial for reinforcing the country’s health system. Needless to say, the government should strive to ensure a better healthcare system for all by improving the country’s public health services.
