Rural care gaps widen as 80pc doctors flock to cities

Although nearly 80 per cent of Bangladesh's population lives in rural areas, around 80 per cent of the country's doctors remain concentrated in urban centres, creating a major imbalance in healthcare services, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhit said on Thursday.

Speaking at an event at the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT), the state minister said Bangladesh has an adequate number of physicians in proportion to its population, but their uneven distribution continues to pose a challenge for the healthcare system.

He said only a small portion of doctors are employed within the government system, while a larger number work in the private sector.

Dr Muhit stressed that the country's healthcare system does not depend solely on physicians and underscored the importance of other healthcare professionals.