Public healthcare facilities and its utilization: Bangladesh perspective

Abstract

Considerable segment of the populace in Bangladesh is disinherited of a major human right: access to high-quality healthcare facilities. Bereft of an appropriate healthcare structure would lead to acute effects in numerous other segments of the nation. The goal of this study is to assess the whole scenario of the public healthcare facilities in Bangladesh. Furthermore, selected aspects regarding utilization of these facilities involving outpatient departments (OPD) visits, bed turnover rate (BTOR), bed occupancy ratio (BOR), hospitalization and death, and childbirth practices have also been evaluated. All the pertinent data required for the analysis of the study were hoarded from the Health Bulletin issued by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) in 2016. The outcomes of the study reveal that majority of the OPD visits (89%) took place in the primary level healthcare facilities whereas the secondary level hospitals had the highest BTOR. Hospitalization of patients was the highest in Dhaka division (23%) and lowest in Barisal division (6%). Most of the deaths of admitted patients (69%) were registered at the tertiary level hospitals while UHC were liable for most of the childbirths (90%). The analytical findings of the study will facilitate the respective agencies to formulate proper evaluations concerning the abovementioned characteristics of public healthcare facilities in Bangladesh and implement efficient resolutions as well.