The New Nation - Internet Edition

PRIVATE health care facilities are filling gaps both in terms of quantity and quality in extending health care to people in the country. Therefore, there are arguments in favour of enlarging the private health care system in the country. Pathological laboratories, private clinics and heart treatment facilities of international standard have been established in recent years. As a result, the effectiveness of investigations and treatment in these fields have improved and also the costs of treatment have fallen because basing on these new medical units patients, who previously went abroad for treatment at high costs, can now get the same treatment at home.

The expanding role of the private sector medical care has been well received by the people. The only concern, however, in this expansion is about quality. So far, the growth of private medical care has presented the patients with mixed results. In some cases, and these are limited in number, patients can expect to get high quality service while in many other cases they do not get their money's worth. Reports frequently appear in the press about sub-standard private clinics or those even having no registration or approval from the authorities to operate. Some private medical colleges have been set up which appear to be seriously deficient in imparting proper education to students.

Thus, there is a pressing need to improve regulation to enforce standard of service in the private health sector. But, at the same time, the government should opt for policy measures such as making imported medical equipment and the like cheaper, plus reducing various charges and duties affecting the investors in private medical care facilities. These steps can be immensely helpful in accelerating investments in this field and should also contribute in the longer term to reducing the current drain of resources on foreign medical care by Bangladeshis.