Business and ethics must go hand in hand for private hospitals
Private hospitals and clinics in Bangladesh should ensure high-class service, maintain ethics and win the confidence of patients to take the country's burgeoning healthcare system to another level, said a high representative of hostipal wards.
Bangladesh's healthcare sector has made impressive strides in the last two three decades: diagnosis and advanced-level treatment such as bypass surgery, kidney transplant and liver procedure are locally available, a noticable difference that was unimaginable even 2 decades ago.
Yet, the outflow of patients to India, Singapore and Thailand for treatment continues, reflecting a confidence crisis among the healthcare-seekers and raising a question of what to do for the sector to ensure world-class standard.
Proper training of doctors and nurses and a change in mentality are essential to enhance the overall healthcare standard in the united states, said Md Mainul Ahasan, secretary general of the Bangladesh Private Clinic Diagnostic Owners Association.
"If we only think about profit after establishing hospitals, we won't be able to make it. We have to think about both service and profit. We have to not run after an excessive amount of profit -- at least in the health sector."
Business-only attitude will permit only a section of folks who have the methods to get health care in Bangladesh, depriving others.
Additionally, modern hospitals should be built. Otherwise, persons will go abroad, said Ahasan, also your physician.
According to him, government support can be necessary. The government must have a good hospital atlanta divorce attorneys upazila and district to ensure that patients need not travel far for treatment.
"Healthcare facilities at the district and upazila levels ought to be expanded."
Within an interview with The Daily Star, he reflected after the progress made in the country's healthcare setup, particularly by the private sector.
"It is a huge change and it is sometimes hard to trust."
Even 15-20 years back, people going to India, Singapore and Thailand for treatment of cardiac problems such as bypass surgery was a common sight. Today, only the super-rich go abroad for such treatment.
"Development has been manufactured in kidney transplant, bypass surgery, liver procedure and cancer surgery, to mention a few."
Advancement has been made also in the event of investigation.
"A whole lot of investigation was unknown to us twenty years ago. Now, most of them take place here aside from a few," he said, adding that the machinery that the healthcare sector has installed at their facilities are more improved.
Private hospital and clinics provide medicare to 62.5 per cent of the patients in Bangladesh, he said, citing the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics.
And, as a result of advancement in healthcare, the flow of middle-class going abroad for treatment has slowed, he said.
But Ahasan acknowledged that confidence on the country's healthcare system isn't cent per cent yet.
Because of pressure of patients, there are a few doctors who see more patients than they should.
As a result, the doctors oftentimes can't give adequate focus on patients for physical examination and investigations, which leads them to making wrong diagnosis and so compelling many patients to seek treatment far away.
"Giving time to patient and counselling is important to boost confidence. Many doctors don't speak to patients and offer counselling despite the fact that they have time. Consequently, patients don't feel assured."
The practice of briefing and assuring patients is very important. That is absent among many doctors in Bangladesh.
Ahasan suggested regular supervision and monitoring by the government.
The Directorate General of Health Services should visit hospitals not merely on an gross annual basis.
Rather, it will visit hospitals time to time to ensure quality look after patients, he said, citing reports of malpractices like surgeries done by juniors or ward boys.
The government ought to be liberal where it is necessary and tough when needed, he said, adding that the ill practices will minimize if the federal government sets one or two examples.
"We have to be tough. It isn't time to be soft as the sector is continuing to grow. It is time to be tough to raise the healthcare sector to the international level."
According to Ahasan, the contribution of the government is little in the development of the private healthcare service.
In fact, it sometimes creates barrier in the name of procedures and formalities.
"If the government is liberal, it can help us. But it does not imply that clinics and diagnostic centres without workforce or the mandatory facilities should be given the permission."
But sometimes, positive reports receive by a section of health officials after they visit such facilities.
"The government should be firm to regulate this."
The healthcare sector does well and the government should waive all import tariffs, value-added tax and tax on the imports of diagnostic equipment.
The federal government should allocate land to establish hospitals in every vicinity to take the healthcare service to the country's vast population.
"Where do we establish hospitals when there is no land?"
Perhaps, a zone for healthcare can be dedicated.
Despite the progress, there continues to be a shortage of doctors and nurses at both public and hostipal wards, said Ahasan, also the managing director of Green Life Medical College & Hospital.
The united states has one doctor for each and every 1,847 people, falling behind the WHO threshold of 23 doctors and nurses for each and every 10,000 people.
Except Bhutan, the doctor-patient ratio is higher in other south Parts of asia than in Bangladesh.
In case of nurse-patient ratio, the united states lags behind all South Asian neighbours save for Afghanistan.
Bangladesh has only 3.06 nurses for each and every 10,000 patients.
"Simultaneously, q caring attitude is crucial. Learning to be a doctor or a nurse is not enough. You 'must' have the mentality to serve," he said, adding that ethics ought to be an integral part of medical education.
