The people have their own impression about the state of affairs in sectors that concern them most. Such a sector-wise impression may not be accurate or factual but it is based on their real-life experience. The public health sector is one of those areas about which the citizens' perception is not at all palatable. The findings of a research study, unveiled last Thursday by the Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB), have substantiated the popular notion about the public health sector. Its findings to a great length are far more revealing, showing how extensive and deep-seated the rot within the public health sector is.
Graft, according to the TIB report, reigns supreme in the public health sector. It mentions that the recruitment, transfer and promotion of one single doctor or an official allegedly involves an illegal payment that ranges between Tk 0.5 and Tk 1.0 million. A fourth class employee, for an example, is required to make an illegal payment between Tk 50,000 and Tk 0.2 million to get transferred to a place of his/her choice. Some people who claim their loyalty to the political power matrix, a section of officials of the relevant government authorities and also a section of functionaries of professional associations affiliated to political parties are allegedly involved in all the illegal transactions centring appointments, transfers and promotions in the public health facilities.
The public health facilities are also a hotbed of corruption. Irregularities are galore in procurement and distribution of medicines and other items in government-run hospitals and health complexes. Corruption eats up a large part of the meagre allocation that is provided for patients' food. In many such health facilities, medical equipment is ill-maintained or left unused. Doctors at district- and upazila-level health facilities frequently abstain themselves from their duties; they are mostly unwilling to stay outside Dhaka or places of their choice. The propensity among a section of doctors at government-run hospitals to refer patients to private diagnostic centres or hospitals and clinics in exchange for handsome rates of commission is also well-known.
Because of widespread irregularities and lack of proper service, the people have virtually lost their faith in public sector health facilities. Neither do they hold the private sector health facilities in high esteem because of the mismatch between the services rendered and the fees charged. Under such circumstances, those who can afford are seeking medical services abroad, particularly in India or Thailand or Singapore. However, the middleclass families are left with no option other than availing the medical services rendered by private hospitals and clinics. The poor and low-income families, on the other hand, remain dependent on the public sector health facilities, notwithstanding the shortcomings of the latter.
Professional ethics and norms that are the guiding spirit of healthcare services, are least cared about, by the medical professionals in this country. The massive presence of graft and the poor quality of health services are the outcome of this. The failure on the part of the administration to rein in irregularities and the indulgence given to corrupt practices have made things rather difficult in the health sector. But the situation should not be allowed to deteriorate any further. There must be determined efforts by the administration and the health professionals to reverse the trend. Otherwise, even the low-quality services that are now being offered by the public health facilities, might collapse one day.
Graft in healthcare system
FE Team | Published: November 09, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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