Medical expenditure per household in Bangladesh has risen beyond the means of many, almost doubling in the last 12 years. Almost each of the households in the country spends Tk 30,603 per month from their Tk 32,442 monthly income for different purposes, including food and non-food consumption, says a HEIS survey.
According to the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022 by the Bureau of Statistic (BBS), the household expenses for medical purposes have jumped to Tk 2,114.67 per month, accounting to 6.91 per cent of total Tk 30,603 monthly spending. Reportedly, the spending rate was only 3.79 in 2010 and 4.54 per cent in 2016, the survey report of the respective years showed.
Health experts say a high prevalence of chronic diseases and growing treatment costs are pushing up the medical spending, along with rises in general consumer prices. The HEIS report found that each of the families in villages spending higher in getting health services than that in the urban areas as a rural spends 7.27 per cent of the total 26,207 monthly average consumption spending. On the other hand, an urban person spends 6.40 per cent of total Tk 39,971 monthly consumption income.
However, the spending in the household on food and education bills has dropped compared to the previous survey report. It was found that the expenditure for food per family dropped to 45.76 per cent in 2022 from 54.81 per cent in 2010. Similarly, spending for education also fell to 2.78 per cent of their monthly average expenditure in 2022 from 5.68 per cent in 2010.
It was alleged that because of less government investment in upgrading the health services, non-quality prescriptions for the patients and unholy alliance between some drug producers and doctors, the monthly household spending for health is increasing. Since non-communicable diseases are rising every year in the country, it is expanding the overall health services cost. Besides, it was further alleged that the higher and uncontrolled price of drugs is another reason behind sufferings of the common people.
Unfortunately, health expenditure has also increased in the country for the growing cost in getting treatment, purchasing drugs, and the disease diagnosis. It is bad news for us. We want the authorities concerned to invest more in improving the country’s health services and thereby minimise household expenditure as people, particularly the fixed income group, are suffering over the unabated rise in prices of essential medicines and treatment costs.