Let healthcare not be a business, but a humanitarian endeavor

Among all the types of services people can provide to one another, healthcare is the most sensitive. This is why the term "service" is associated with healthcare, as it must be provided urgently and with a humanitarian perspective. If there is a slight delay in giving food to a hungry person, they might not die; if there is a delay in providing education to an uneducated person, it might not cause significant harm. However, a slight delay in providing medical care to an injured or sick person can result in the loss of life. Therefore, the words "service" and "urgent" are inextricably linked with healthcare.

However, we frequently come across news reports of patients dying because they are detained in hospitals over unpaid bills. According to a news report published yesterday, Monday, June 3, a one-and-a-half-year-old child in Manikganj allegedly died without treatment because the hospital detained them for a bill of only 3,000 taka.

According to the news, the incident occurred around 11 AM on Sunday at Munnu Medical College Hospital, as reported by Sukumar Biswas, the Officer-in-Charge of Ghior Police Station. The deceased child, Rezuan, was the son of Sohel Gazi from the Bokchar area of Shibalay Upazila. Due to respiratory distress, Rezuan had been admitted to the hospital at 2 AM on Saturday night. The child's relatives alleged that Rezuan's condition worsened because he did not receive proper medical care. Later, on Sunday morning, the doctors at Munnu Medical College Hospital referred him to Dhaka for better treatment.

At that time, Rezuan's relatives, who were with him, could not pay the hospital bill of 3,000 taka, and they were detained. The relatives allege that during this detention, Rezuan was not given any medical treatment. Without receiving any form of treatment, the child eventually died around noon.

Such an incident naturally pains our hearts. It is unacceptable for any hospital to detain a sick and frail child over a bill of just 3,000 taka. We demand a prompt investigation into the matter. If the accused are found guilty, they should be brought to justice. Let measures be established to ensure that such unpleasant incidents do not occur in the future.

Similar allegations have been raised against several hospitals in the past. Just last March, there was an allegation against Delta Hospital in the capital's Jatrabari area, where a newborn was detained over unpaid bills. Despite assuring the family of arranging treatment for 20,000 taka, the hospital eventually presented a bill of nearly two lakh taka after three days. Later, due to the presence of the media, the people of the country came to know about the hospital's unethical business practices. Patients are detained, and they are compelled to pay hefty bills against their will.

Under the guise of providing healthcare services, numerous hospitals are mushrooming across the country, most of which are commercial establishments. They often charge patients exorbitant amounts by conducting unnecessary tests, prescribing unnecessary medications, and unnecessarily admitting patients for extended periods.

As a result, the people of Bangladesh have lost faith in the country's healthcare system. It is up to the government to restore this trust. If such mismanagement and malpractice cannot be stopped, then the people's faith in the healthcare system will never be regained. It needs to start immediately, with a focus on urgency. Like a critically ill patient, Bangladesh's healthcare system is currently ailing. Before treating the patients, treating the healthcare system itself is urgent. We want healthcare not to be a business but humanitarian.