Some 61,30,000 people dropped below the national poverty line due to meeting their healthcare expenditures in 2022, a study conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies revealed on Monday.
The BIDS revealed the findings of the study titled 鈥楥atastrophic Health Shock and Improvement in Bangladesh: Insights from HIES 2022鈥� at an event held at its office in the capital鈥檚 Agargaon on the day.
High out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures put 61.13 per cent of hospitalised patients in financial distress in the country during the period.
According to the report, 17.72 per cent of households faced catastrophic healthcare expenditures in 2022.
BIDS research fellow Abdur Razzaque Sarker said in a powerpoint presentation that among the distressed patients, 15.53 per cent sold out their assets to manage their healthcare expenditure, 26.83 per cent borrowed money, and 18.77 per cent took help from friends and relatives.
Only 6.29 per cent of patients could bear their healthcare expenses from their regular income and 32.58 per cent from their savings.
The study identified high out-of-pocket expenditures as the main cause of financial distress.
A family had to spend Tk 55,134 as out-of-pocket expenditure for at least one case of hospitalisation.
The highest average Tk 223,938 was spent on cancer treatment, BIDS said.
BIDS said that health expenditures were growing amid a lack of government intervention.
Among South Asian countries, out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure in Bangladesh is the second highest after Afghanistan.聽
Speakers at the report launch event urged the government to take measures to reduce out-of-pocket health expenditures.
They said that controlling drug prices and bringing people under health insurance might work better to reduce health expenditures.
Health minister Samanta Lal Sen said that changes in the health sector could not be brought about overnight.
Responding to a question about inadequate budgetary allocation, he said that if the allocated budget could be utilised on time, it would not appear insignificant.
Many improvements were possible with the allocation, said the minister, adding that proper use of the budget was more crucial than the amount of budget.
BIDS director general Binayak Sen said that 35 per cent of people went below the poverty line to manage their healthcare expenditures.
He suggested the introduction of universal healthcare coverage, where all people would benefit from quality health services without suffering financial hardship.
At least 73 counties have universal health coverage now, he said.
