Increasing number of heart patients in the country
It is alarming that the incidences of cardiac diseases in Bangladesh are increasing sharply. And patients are being wrongly diagnosed when it comes to cardiac ailments. Cardiovascular diseases have become a cause of increasing concern, topping the list of non-communicable diseases. Indeed, when we look at the World Health Organisation (WHO) data, patients suffering from heart ailments accounted for 17 percent of total deaths in 2014 whereas nearly three decades ago, all non-communicable diseases together (including heart diseases) accounted for only eight percent of total mortality. The situation is particularly bad outside Dhaka.
Against this backdrop, we find that there are only 36 cardiac care units in both public and private facilities, according to the latest data from Cardiac Surgeons Society of Bangladesh (CSSB). Of these, 26 hospitals are equipped to conduct cardiovascular surgeries. And of those, 20 are located in Dhaka. The ones outside Dhaka paint a completely different picture. For instance, the Zia Heart Foundation in Dinajpur has not been functional since 2016 due to shortage of surgeons. CSSB data tells us that there are only 150 cardiac surgeons in the country, of whom 32 work in Dhaka.
In a country of nearly 170 million people, it is shocking to learn that we have so few cardiac surgeons and a mere six hospitals outside of Dhaka and there too, not all are operational. It is little wonder that people flock to Dhaka for treatment, but often it proves to be too little, too late! The ministry of health needs to take cognisance of these alarming data and go back to the drawing board when preparing next year's budget. It is not merely a question of having the requisite number of hospitals in other districts but also having these facilities properly manned by doctors, nurses and other relevant medical staff so that the heart patients may receive prompt, adequate and proper treatment.
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