Poor treatment facilities in rural areas

Healthcare facilities in rural areas remain inadequate, forcing patients to travel long distances to hospitals in cities. Every day, numerous patients from various districts come to Dhaka seeking treatment, as quality doctors and advanced diagnostic services are hardly available locally.

Unfortunately, the situation is worsened by the attitude of some doctors, who prioritise private practice and academic commitments over patient care. Poor management and insufficient resources in rural hospitals often result in misdiagnoses or incorrect treatment, sometimes costing patients their lives.

Financial constraints force many rural people to rely on local facilities, which, under current conditions, provide substandard care and contribute to widespread suffering.

According to a recent New Age report, 3,000 doctors are expected to be appointed in September. While this is a welcome step, much more needs to be done. The government must prioritise the establishment of modern hospitals and clinics in rural areas, equipped with proper resources, medicines and trained medical staff. Qualified doctors should be stationed locally and corruption must be strictly curtailed to ensure equitable healthcare access for all.

Moreover, physicians who bunk their duties in rural hospitals should be held accountable. In absence of doctors and adequate health care facilities, a vacuum has been created in rural healthcare. Worryingly, this vacuum is being fulfilled by quacks and fake doctors.

It is, therefore, imperative for the authorities concerned to bring about a comprehensive reform in rural healthcare system so that every citizen can receive timely, quality medical care without suffering undue financial or physical hardship.

Md Tousif Raihan

Graduate Student

Department of Criminology and

Police Science

University of Chittagong