Healthcare providers and the sector experts at a discussion on Thursday said that there were no significant negative health impacts from India鈥檚 suspension of visas after the July uprising for there were no lack of facilities in the health sector of the country.
Alliance for Health Reform, Bangladesh and Institute of Health Economics of Dhaka University organised the discussion on the Dhaka University campus to find the way forward to free country鈥檚 healthcare from dependency on foreign countries.
Health adviser鈥檚 special assistant professor Md Sayedur Rahman said that the government was taking measures to stop the trend of taking treatment abroad.
He said that private healthcare institutes that would contribute to reducing foreign dependency would be given incentive while the government was rearranging a super specialised hospital to ensure advanced treatment.
People go abroad for treatment for perceptional and actual causes, he said, adding that the government will take measures to address them all.
鈥榃e will impose the existing laws immediately to stop the outbound tendency. Will reform the law if needed in the future,鈥� he said.
Speakers said that people of the country went abroad for treatment for several reasons including diagnostic problems, lack of trust, physicians鈥� attitude, prestige along with some actual issues like lack of comprehensive treatment manner and unprofessionalism of healthcare providers, among others.
DU IHE professor Syed Abdul Hamid said that the causes of draining patients abroad were identified in studies as well but the question was initiatives to address them.
The Speakers said that the qualification of doctors and nurses was beyond any question but there were cultural and other problems that stood against patients鈥� trust and confidence in the country鈥檚 healthcare system.
Lab Aid Hospital managing director A M Shamim said that country鈥檚 healthcare providers were adequately qualified and they were ready to provide almost all sorts of treatment.
The private hospital used to serve 40,000 patients annually with its 800 doctors.
Medicine specialist and Health and Hope Hospital managing director M H Choudhury Lelin said that many people earned huge illegal money over the years and expended the money abroad in the name of treatment.
鈥楪overnment should take measures prohibiting overseas healthcare for lawmakers, public representatives and public servants above the rank of joint secretary,鈥� he said.
Nephrologist and retired brigadier general Mamun Mostafi said that in the country patients felt the lack of good behaviour from doctors and good treatment.
鈥極ver the past three months the patients did not come with allegations of not getting treatment, which indicates that we have treatment facilities,鈥� he said.
He urged the government to introduce modern treatment like robotics immediately.
Oncologist Syed Akram Hossain said that a huge number of valuable machines remained dysfunctional in hospitals that hampered healthcare.
He alleged corruption and lack of accountability for the situation and demanded taking measures.
