Bigger health budget, same pressure on patients
Overcrowded hospitals, infectious disease outbreaks and chronic implementation weaknesses continue to threaten Bangladesh’s ability to provide timely and affordable healthcare despite a near doubling of the health allocation.
The government has proposed Tk 69,409 crore for the health sector in fiscal year 2026-27, equivalent to 1.01 per cent of gross domestic product. The revised allocation for the previous fiscal year was Tk 35,477 crore, or 0.58 per cent of GDP.
Although the allocation has increased substantially, public health experts say additional funding will not automatically lead to better services unless the government addresses shortages of beds, doctors and healthcare workers, weak governance and poor implementation.
The scale of the pressure on public hospitals was highlighted recently when the prime minister told Parliament that around four million patients receive treatment on hospital floors every year because of inadequate bed capacity.
Data from the Directorate General of Health Services shows that bed occupancy rates at government hospitals rose sharply between 2021 and 2024.
The occupancy rate at district hospitals increased from 131 per cent to 178 per cent, while the rate at medical college hospitals climbed from 130 per cent to 164 per cent.
At upazila health complexes, it rose from 85 per cent to 111 per cent. The figures show that many government hospitals are treating substantially more patients than their officially approved capacity.
The healthcare system is also facing pressure from infectious diseases. A measles outbreak that began in March has continued to spread, while monsoon rainfall, high humidity, flooding and waterlogging have increased the risks of dengue and waterborne diseases.
The growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and cancer, is placing further pressure on hospitals and specialised treatment services.
According to the latest DGHS figures, five more suspected measles-related deaths were recorded in the 24 hours ending on July 27.
A total of 124,745 suspected measles cases had been reported since March 15, including 992 new suspected cases during the latest reporting period. The health authorities have been monitoring both laboratory-confirmed and suspected infections.
In response, the government has announced plans to expand healthcare infrastructure and specialised services.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said the increased allocation was intended to make quality healthcare more accessible across the country.
According to the minister, the government is working to upgrade facilities at different levels of the healthcare system, from upazila health complexes to medical college hospitals.
It also plans to establish 50-bed dialysis units at every medical college hospital and install 10 dialysis beds at each upazila hospital to expand access to specialised kidney treatment.
The Health Ministry has pledged stronger oversight against unethical practices, including broker networks that direct patients from public hospitals to private clinics, commission-based referrals and unnecessary diagnostic tests conducted for financial gain.
Public health experts, however, say infrastructure projects and higher allocations alone will not be sufficient.
They have called for timely and transparent use of the budget, recruitment of adequate numbers of doctors, nurses and other health workers, greater use of modern medical equipment, improved governance and stronger institutional accountability.
They have also stressed the need to invest more in primary healthcare, vaccination, disease surveillance and preventive programmes alongside increasing hospital capacity.
Prevention is considered a central measure of an effective public health system, particularly because timely vaccination, early diagnosis and disease-control measures can reduce avoidable illness and deaths before patients require hospital treatment.
The increased allocation therefore represents an opportunity for the government to address longstanding weaknesses in the health sector. Its impact, however, will depend on whether the money is used effectively and reaches the facilities and services facing the greatest pressure.
The success of the budget will ultimately be measured not by the size of the allocation, but by whether people can obtain timely, affordable and quality healthcare when they need it.
