There is a growing tendency among middle-class patients in Bangladesh to avoid knocking on hospital doors, even in the case of any critical condition. The reasons they describe are not pleasant at all.
Poor hygiene management in hospitals and care facilities, the horrible conditions of toilets, dirty floors, bad smell in the air, overcrowding, noise, ‘unfriendly behaviour by nurses and doctors’ and surging medical bills are among the reasons why people try to avoid going to hospitals in Bangladesh.
“Maintaining hygiene in hospitals and clinics is extremely important, and then comes the compassionate approach by hospital staff, including nurses and doctors. That’s great amiss in Bangladesh’s medical service ‘industry’. And this is one of the reasons why many people go abroad for medical treatment,” said Shamsur Rahman (not his real name), in his mid-50s.
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“In May 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic was surging at an alarming rate in Bangladesh, I was admitted to a city hospital and had to spend over three weeks there. For the first time in my life, I saw things, I mean hospital management, from inside,” he said.