Monday | 7 October 2024 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Monday | 7 October 2024 | Epaper

Better healthcare management is imperative

Published : Wednesday, 7 April, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 584
ZUBAIR KHALED HUQ
Medical professions in Bangladesh occupy a respectable position. People from all walks of life are heavily dependent upon it. Unfortunately, distrust between doctors is patients are increasing alarmingly. There was a time, not long ago, when doctors were treated and worshipped as no less than God.         

With the ever-increasing commercialization and privatization, some of the doctors have resorted to charge high fees. One or two black ships are undoubtedly corrupt, but we see thousands doing their job and saving lives with hard work, dedication, trust, confidentiality as per their oath.         

Alarmingly fake doctors are stigmatising the whole doctor fraternity. Why we are seeing uneducated persons becoming renowned doctors? Is there is a fault in our monitoring system, awareness? There are a lot of con men coming to take away the desired honour and dignity which a doctor has to earn with blood and sweat and tears. During this pandemic, our valiant frontlines are fighting for the life of respected citizens. Health care workers are dying. We salute those who are still in the front, working tirelessly round the clock. We respect, show gratitude and pray for those departed souls who proved to the nation, the life of our citizens is our first priority. Doctors showed they fought and cared for their patients.      

Why and how the growing distrust started? Are some doctors responsible? Or some owners of clinics, hospitals are pushing physicians further to the wall. One or two black ships maybe, with this unholy practice. Some third, fourth class employees are holding the same post--not transferred, which has given them the courage to do the unholy practice. All government posts of jobs must be transferrable.          

The main problem the profession faces is that it is becoming too costly and expensive for the poor, lower middle class to afford. Only upper middle classes along with richer classes can afford to bear the burgeoning medical expenses. In Bangladesh out-of- pocket expenditures is one of the highest among Asian countries. Every year a large number of doctors are coming out of medical colleges.

The competition to be a specialist is intense among doctors, only being graduates and being left out of government jobs, they are left with almost nothing, in private clinics; they are paid very little amount of money. It is not possible for the government to give jobs to all the doctors. A doctor has to earn fame through hard work is absolutely true.         

There is no system of the General practitioners (GP), family physicians. In many developed countries, all the specialists see patients once GP has seen and referred to them. If GP referral practice could start a huge number of doctors can have a lot of patients in their practice. The chance of fake doctors taking the vacant place could be sealed.

Community Clinic (CC) is the lowest tier health facility at the primary level established throughout the country including very hard-to-reach, remote and isolated areas. The community owns CC and plays an active role in its improvement in all regards. People are satisfied with the services of CC as it is the one-stop service outlet in respect of Health, Family Planning and Nutrition. Community Clinics have their challenges as well, and these stem from the lack of skilled healthcare professionals in rural Bangladesh.

They are managed by community service providers who are only trained in health for a short period of time. As a government plan physicians who pass MBBS are supposed to serve the rural community for one year as interns, they can easily be placed in CC, so they can serve their own community, give better treatment, supervise, do the needful referral, become a part of the true referral system chain and do their job of serving the public as well. At the policy level, if this can be implemented a culture of better healthcare can be achieved, without further expenditure.       

But the doctors must not lose hope. There are a lot of fields to improve. Who could be a better researcher than a doctor? Research works are going on. From the very beginning in government service if doctors can decide any branch of either be a clinician, administrator or teacher; if at the beginning branches can be selected, and they can settle to their desired place and could give them the right direction a doctor can serve and enjoy his job. At the policy level, we can have food for thought.    

A patient-friendly atmosphere will have to be created in all the hospitals of the country. Here is a problem that should be urgently addressed. In government hospitals all over the country, poor patients, even serious ones with life-threatening conditions, usually go for treatment, often there are instances that they are paid little attention by some health professionals including doctors, nurses and other staffs. On the contrary, there are many good Samaritans who devote their time for the need of humanity.

On the other hand, the drugs the government hospitals provide to patients free of cost are at times inadequate. The hospitals are generally supposed to be neat and clean with a hygienic atmosphere. In this regard, our public hospitals fall far below the expectation, with a few exceptions. As the poor and helpless people are unable to get their rights at times, the conscious section of the society has to come to their help.

Government doctors need clear guidelines on private practice. The health professionals in Bangladesh are very much overburdened and they have little scope to educate themselves from their own effort unless they are detailed in specific educational training by the authority.
Dr Zubair Khaled Huq, Family Medicine, Gerontology, Public Health Specialist






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