Luxury death of the looters!

Dishonest individuals in Bangladesh die in venues like Singapore and Thailand, glorifying their deaths

When Bangabandhu developed gallbladder issues, everyone urged him to seek treatment abroad. He refused. Eventually, he was taken to London almost by force. Even there, the first thing he asked was whether there was a Bengali doctor available. The authenticity of this story is uncertain, as blind followers in politics often weave sensational tales about their leaders – some true, some false. Another widely circulated story claims that Mahathir Mohamad, the founding father of modern Malaysia, built a modern hospital in his own country and received treatment there. In contrast, a common reality in Bangladesh is that politicians, businessmen, corrupt bureaucrats, looters, and dishonest individuals often choose Singapore or Thailand as their final destination, as their bodies no longer respond to treatment in local hospitals.

The recent illness of Mr. Obaidul Quader has raised a question in many minds – how much longer will Bangladeshis continue to travel to Singapore for advanced medical care? He is a very important figure in the state. I sincerely hope he recovers quickly and returns. But the question remains: how long will the people of Bangladesh remain dependent on foreign countries for medical treatment?

To be honest, the relationship between the people of Bangladesh and their trust in doctors and the healthcare system is extremely fragile. There is a shortage of specialist doctors in the country. For children, there are only two or three cardiac surgeons, and even they have emerged only recently. A large portion of the population still places their faith in magic, spells, astrology, shamans, and herbalists. Yet even more people distrust the country’s doctors and healthcare system. Both sides bear responsibility here. The healthcare system and ethical standards are tied to our national character. If we, as citizens, become more aware of our responsibilities, the system will naturally improve. But if our collective honesty and ethics do not improve, how can we expect our systems to become better?

We do not know how many people have died while seeking treatment in Singapore. We only know about those who return healthy. Many Bangladeshi doctors are working abroad with great reputation, yet the same environment does not exist here. How many people in our country can afford the costs of Mount Elizabeth Hospital? If we compare costs with India, we may be ahead, but everyone agrees that the quality of treatment is better in India.

A few days ago, the Director General of the Health Directorate gave a letter of appreciation to Square Hospital. He had received treatment there and was impressed by the sincere behavior of the doctors, nurses, and staff. This is certainly a positive gesture. However, many criticized him. Some doctors pointed out that the equipment used in his treatment is not available in any government hospital. It is deeply unfortunate that in a country with an annual budget of 4.5 trillion taka, a medical device is unavailable at BSMMU but is available at a private hospital like Square.

Given our current economic progress, rising incomes, and annual budget, does our country truly lack the capacity to make some hospitals world-class? The amount of waste and corruption in the healthcare budget each year could easily fund the construction of several Mount Elizabeth-level hospitals in Bangladesh under government initiative. A recent example of corruption has come to light – an employee named Afzal who allegedly possesses assets worth thousands of crores!

The time has come. If we can claim to have built the Padma Bridge with 300 billion taka from our own funds, then upgrading an established hospital to Mount Elizabeth’s level or founding a new one with 10 billion taka should not be difficult – where everyone will have equal access to treatment. All it takes is goodwill and assigning responsibility to qualified, capable individuals. We must also look at opportunities to rebuild trust in doctors and the healthcare system. We often do not trust the words of a professor in our own country, yet we rely on the certificate of an assistant professor abroad. It is time to identify who or what is responsible for this situation and work toward improvement. How much longer will we remain dependent on foreign countries?

The leading causes of death in Bangladesh are heart attacks and strokes. The first hour after a heart attack is extremely critical. People don’t die from the heart attack itself, but from the subsequent cardiac arrest. Mr. Obaidul Quader was fortunate – his cardiac arrest occurred after reaching the hospital. But think about it: if someone in Dhaka suffers a heart attack, getting them to a hospital within one hour is a major challenge. It is now absolutely essential to create a dedicated lane for buses and ambulances on Dhaka’s roads.