The government is actively working to minimize dependency on foreign medical treatment for specific diseases, announced Dr. Md. Sarwar Bari, Secretary of the Public Health and Family Planning Welfare Department, at a discussion held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on Saturday.
The event, titled “Overseas Medical Treatment: Way of Outcome,” was organized by the Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA).
Dr. Bari emphasized the government’s goal to establish equitable healthcare services. “While our current healthcare system has limitations, efforts are underway to make it more efficient,” he said. Addressing the dependence on foreign treatment, he attributed the issue to a gap between service recipients and providers, which has fostered the perception of inferior domestic healthcare.
To combat this, the government is focusing on three diseases, including cancer, to reduce reliance on foreign services, with the other two to be announced soon.
Improving Healthcare Infrastructure
BPMCA President MA Mubin Khan, who presided over the function, underscored the need to improve healthcare infrastructure and diagnostic capabilities. “Ensuring modern medical equipment and building world-class specialized hospitals in major cities is essential to diagnosing and treating complex diseases,” he stated.
Expanding Medical Tourism
Dr. Md. Zafrullah Chowdhury, of the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council, highlighted the potential of medical tourism, advocating for cost-effective services in private hospitals. He suggested government support through financial assistance, tax exemptions, and a national insurance scheme to cover complex surgeries and international-standard treatments.
“Such measures will encourage people to seek treatment domestically instead of abroad,” he noted, adding that policies discouraging overseas treatment should also be implemented.
Healthcare Statistics and Insights
Health Education Department Director General Professor Dr. Nazmul Islam shared data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, revealing that around Tk 10,000 crore was spent on medical treatment abroad in the fiscal year 2018–19. Of these patients, 84% were working-age individuals (16–55 years), with businesspeople being the largest group. India and Thailand were the most popular destinations, followed by Singapore.
The data identified cardiovascular diseases as the leading reason for seeking treatment abroad, accounting for 17% of patients, followed by kidney diseases (14.5%), orthopedic surgery (11.5%), and liver and cancer treatments (11%).
Challenges and Recommendations
PMCA General Secretary Professor Dr. Md. Moazzem Hossain highlighted that while Bangladesh has over 654 government hospitals with 51,316 beds and 5,000 private hospitals offering more than 15,000 beds, issues like mismanagement and lack of quality care persist.
Speakers concluded that addressing inequities in medical education, expanding healthcare infrastructure, and fostering trust in local healthcare services are vital to reversing the trend of seeking
