Corruption-ridden public health sector
PLAGUED with pervasive corruption, the government-run health sector is failing to deliver as it should resulting in the general loss of public trust in its service. As a result, the poor patients, especially, of the rural areas, are at the receiving end, while the better-off people are either turning to private hospitals or going abroad for treatment. This is indeed a sad commentary on the country's public health service which is otherwise credited for its achievements in reducing child and maternal mortality rate as well as increasing life expectancy significantly.
As revealed by a recent report of the Bangladesh Chapter of the international graft watchdog, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), corruption is so rampant among the officials of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) that no recruitment, promotion, or transfer is possible there without bribe. And those buying their positions at the public hospitals through such corrupt means will, naturally, force patients to pay for the services they are supposed to get free of charge. Small wonder giving bribe is the easiest way to access hospital services including consultation, hospital admission, getting beds, medicines, diagnostic services and so on. Add to it the phenomenon of absenteeism among doctors at the upazila or union level health clinics that often compels poor patients to visit doctors at their private chambers, or even worse, to go to private clinics for treatment at prohibitive costs.
Such disquieting picture of public hospitals flies in the face of the government's claim to the contrary. The health ministry would do well to consider the TIB report seriously and take a long, hard look at the goings-on in the public health sector.
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