The number of Bangladeshi patients seeking treatment abroad is rising once again putting pressure on the country’s foreign reserve.

A large number of people are flocking to various embassies including India, Thailand, and Singapore daily to get a medical visa. Medical concerned said the country’s public hospitals have mismanagement, various types of crises and technological limitations. On the other hand, private hospitals have a lack of trust and fraudsters. Besides, the foreign treatment tendency of the rich instigates others. As a result, people of the middle class and lower middle class are now going abroad for better treatment.

Foreign-bound patients buy dollars and euros. This tendency has put immense pressure on the dollar and euro markets. On the other hand, there is no initiative to improve the quality of local treatment despite people’s tendency for treatment abroad. Generally, rich people go to Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, Thailand, and Malaysia for treatment purposes. On the other hand, middle and lower-middle-class people choose India for better treatment.

In May this year, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma at a function in Dhaka said his country had given more than 15 lakh visas to Bangladeshis last year which is a world record for providing Indian visas to a single country. He said they are working to increase the capacity of visa centres to give visas easily and hurriedly. Bangladeshi people go to India mainly for medical treatment and travel, he added.

A long queue was seen in front of the Indian Visa Center on Tuesday last. Most of the people came there to get a medical visa alongside a tourist visa. Siful Islam, who resides in the capital’s Badda area, said he would go to India to treat his wife. Siful said he and his wife have decided to treat abroad as local doctors failed to cure her wife.    

Sources said every year, Bangladeshis spend thousands of crore taka abroad for treatment purposes. The treatment cost in India is double that of a disease compared to Bangladesh. And the cost is three to ten times higher in Thailand and Singapore. However, the total cost in Bangladesh including hospital bills and cabin costs is almost the same as the treatment abroad. For this reason, people do not show interest in getting treatment at local hospitals. 

Rashid-E-Mahbub, former president of the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), said the country’s people go abroad for treatment because of various reasons. Lack of mental trust is one of the big reasons. On the other hand, there are not enough quality hospitals for the country’s 16 crore people. For this reason, people go to the neighbouring countries for better treatment.

He also said people travel abroad. Many of them also get treatment there. There is no technological development in the health sector of Bangladesh. That’s why patients opt for treatment abroad. The matter is the thinking and satisfaction of the patients. 

Businessman Samir Saha said his one hand was broken in a light accident in his bathroom. He went to a surgeon in the capital’s Uttara. After the X-ray, the doctor told Samir that he would have to install an iron rod in hand. He, later, went to Thailand. Now he is fully fit without an operation or installing any iron rod in hand. This is the main difference between Bangladeshi doctors and foreign doctors, Samir said.  

Some patients said they have no trust in the medicare system of the country. There are lack of coordination in management, doctor crises, and anti-patient behaviour by the physicians and nurses. Moreover, there is no better treatment facility for some non-communicable diseases including cancer, neuro, kidney and liver.

Experts said the main task of hospital management is providing the highest service and security. Unfortunately, patients suffer most in the country’s hospitals instead of these services. Many allegations were reported about unnecessary ICU shifting and mistreatment at the so-called hospitals. Unbelievable bargain occurs to install a ring on the heart. Complexities are also found in liver transplants. People also chose treatment abroad for seat crises at government hospitals, long queues and mismanagement.  

@ The article was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on December 10, 2023 and has been rewritten in English by Golam Rosul.