Staff Reporter :
A recent study has revealed that people injured during the July Movement faced at least 20 different barriers while seeking treatment at hospitals across the country.
The obstacles ranged from administrative delays and procedural irregularities to unnecessary medical tests and even complications in handing over bodies after death.
The findings were presented on Saturday at a discussion held at the CIRDAP International Conference Centre in Dhaka by Dr Ahmed Ehsanur Rahman, a scientist at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b).
The study was jointly conducted by Bangladesh Health Watch and Eminence Associates for Social Development. Dr Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Adviser of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, attended the event as the chief guest.
According to the study, political influence, equipment malfunction, administrative delays, and shortages of skilled personnel have caused widespread disorder in the treatment process at public hospitals.
Injured patients experienced long delays in receiving care, irregularities in data collection and legal documentation, and unnecessary delays in handing over bodies to families after death, increasing the suffering of victims’ relatives.
The situation was not much better in private hospitals. The research found instances of overbilling, unnecessary diagnostic tests, and unethical practices, including hospitals withholding bodies until outstanding bills were paid.
The researchers described such actions as not only irresponsible but also “deeply inhumane.”
Presenting the findings, Dr Ahmed Ehsanur Rahman said that weaknesses in hospital policy and leadership, lack of modern management systems, and insufficient training in ethics and empathy have worsened the crisis.
“Even after death, the dignity of patients is rarely considered part of healthcare in Bangladesh,” he observed.
The study also reflected on the role of the media, noting that while numerous reports have exposed administrative failures and lack of accountability, policy-level responses have remained minimal.
The research team recommended several measures, including technology-based hospital record systems, clear protocols for post-death procedures, and training for administrators to ensure patient- and family-friendly service delivery.
The researchers warned that unless an accountable and humane healthcare system is built soon, irregularities, mismanagement, and public suffering will continue to plague hospitals across the country.
