Bangladesh has only 1.7 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and nine general hospital beds for every 100,000 people, exposing a severe shortage of critical care services, Ziaur Rahman Foundation (ZRF) Vice-Chairperson Dr Zubaida Rahman said on Wednesday.
She said 38 of the country's 64 districts have no ICU facilities, while 80 to 90 per cent of all critical care units (CCUs) are concentrated in Dhaka, leaving millions of people in rural areas without access to life-saving treatment.
Calling for the establishment of ICUs in every district and sadar hospital, Dr Zubaida said the gap between urban and rural healthcare must be addressed.
Dr Zubaida, who is also the wife of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, made the remarks while inaugurating the National Conference 2026 of the Bangladesh Society of Critical Care Medicine (BSCCM) at Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka.
She said around 68 to 70 per cent of the country's population lives in rural areas, yet critical care facilities remain concentrated in major cities. As a result, newborns, pregnant women, elderly patients suffering from pneumonia or stroke, and victims of road accidents in remote areas often die prematurely due to the lack of timely treatment.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, she said the country was facing not only a shortage of ICU beds but also an acute scarcity of specialist physicians, including anaesthetists, cardiologists and neurologists, as well as trained nurses and specialised medical equipment.
She urged policymakers to adopt proper planning and demonstrate strong commitment to strengthening critical care services despite resource constraints.
Stressing the importance of advanced ambulance services, Dr Zubaida said transportation remains a major obstacle for critically ill patients.
"Although it may not be possible to provide immediate ICU care in remote villages, patients can be transported quickly to district hospitals through ambulances equipped with modern life-support facilities. Therefore, every district headquarters hospital must have a functional critical care unit," she said.
