Good service makes a difference

It's hard to deny the fact that the number of hospitals has increased in our country over the years, but it's also true that it isn't nearly sufficient for the entire population.

Most private hospitals are situated in Dhaka, making them inconvenient for people who live outside the city. What's more is that the costly private hospitals are beyond reach for the poorer section of society.

Yet, people would prefer to be treated in a private hospital rather than a public one, provided they have enough money, and despite the fact that public hospitals are supposed to have more doctors and charge a meagre amount. It is only because private hospitals provide better service.

Bangladesh is on its way to becoming a middle-income country, but the existing health infrastructure in the country is hardly satisfactory.

The government should invest heavily in public hospitals in order to improve their capacity to treat more people, facilitate better training for medical officers including doctors and nurses, increase their numbers and, of course, improve the quality of service.

Md Mahedi Hasan, East West University