Our health sector is ‘sick’ because of government apathy

In a report published on May 1, this newspaper revealed that according to a recent study, the Covid-19 treatment cost is abnormally higher in private hospitals compared to public hospitals. Whereas the government spends on average Tk 1.28 lakh for the treatment of a Covid-19 patient in general beds and Tk 4.08 lakh in an intensive care unit (ICU), private hospitals spend around Tk 2.42 lakh in general beds and Tk 5.09 lakh in ICU beds, which is completely borne by the patients. This illustrates that private hospitals are not following the national Covid-19 treatment protocol, recommending unnecessary tests and/or prescribing more expensive medicines despite the availability of cheaper alternatives.