Private healthcare's contribution to Bangladesh's health sector on the rise

Bangladesh's healthcare system has evolved over the years, keeping pace with population growth and technological progress. Alongside public hospitals, the private sector has become a dominant force in healthcare delivery — offering advanced treatments, modern technology, and timely services to millions of patients.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the country has 665 public hospitals with 71,100 beds. In contrast, 6,047 registered private hospitals and clinics provide 126,353 beds, in addition to 12,131 diagnostic centres and blood banks operating across the country.

However, there are also numerous unregistered clinics and diagnostic centres nationwide where people continue to seek medical services.

A report titled Private Healthcare: Governance Challenges and Way Out highlights the sector's phenomenal growth — from just 33 institutions in 1982 to over 15,000 by 2017.

Private hospitals step up during the pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, private hospitals played a pivotal role in maintaining uninterrupted healthcare services. Now, with India restricting medical visas, many patients who previously sought treatment abroad are turning to domestic facilities — particularly private hospitals.

"The government contributes significantly, but it cannot meet the needs of such a large population alone," said Dr Arif Mahmud, Director of Medical Services at Evercare Hospital Bangladesh. "This gap gave rise to the private health sector, which now delivers over 60% of healthcare services nationwide."

Patients increasingly prefer private hospitals for timely, accessible, and predictable treatment, Dr Mahmud explained. While public hospitals often face long waiting times, private facilities enable patients to schedule surgeries, recover faster, and return to work — boosting both health outcomes and productivity.

Bridging gaps through public–private partnership

Dr Arif Mahmud emphasised the need to expand healthcare beyond Dhaka through public–private partnerships (PPP), tax incentives, and reduced import duties on medical equipment. "Building a 300-bed hospital now costs around BDT 1,000 crore — without government support, it's hard to attract investors," he noted.

He believes collaboration between the public and private sectors, supported by policy reforms, innovation, and human resource development, will define the future of Bangladesh's healthcare system.

"Private hospitals are not competitors — they are partners in national health development," he said. "Together, we can make quality healthcare accessible and affordable for all."

Trust in local healthcare rising

Dr A M Shamim, Founder and Managing Director of Labaid Group, echoed similar views, noting that private hospitals now provide about two-thirds of secondary and tertiary care services in Bangladesh.

"The COVID-19 pandemic exposed our vulnerabilities, especially when Indian visa restrictions caused panic among patients. But over the past year, we've seen a positive shift in public trust towards private healthcare," he told The Business Standard.

"Now that going abroad for treatment has become limited, people are increasingly trusting local hospitals. In 99% of cases, patients recover and return home," Dr Shamim added.

He stressed the importance of grading, quality control, and accreditation to raise hospital standards, and called for stronger public–private collaboration. "If the government partners with private hospitals, service delivery and policy implementation can improve," he said, citing Ayushman Bharat in India and similar PPP models in Turkey as examples.

Innovation and technology drive the next phase

Innovation continues to redefine the private healthcare landscape. Evercare has introduced pneumatic tube systems to transport medicines and lab samples within seconds, enhancing efficiency and infection control.

Meanwhile, Labaid Group is developing AI-driven healthtech solutions and planning 30 satellite cancer centres nationwide. Major hospitals, including Evercare, Labaid, and United, are awaiting regulatory approval to launch robotic surgery — marking a new era in modern healthcare in Bangladesh.

Despite major progress, several challenges remain. Bangladesh still lacks adequate facilities for liver, heart, and lung transplants, and has only 37 linear accelerator centres for cancer treatment — far short of the 250–270 required.

The country also faces a severe shortage of healthcare professionals. According to the WHO, Bangladesh has 100,000 nurses, while the need is 300,000. The doctor–nurse ratio stands at 1:1 instead of the ideal 1:3, affecting care quality and pushing many patients abroad for advanced procedures.

Experts call for stronger oversight of private healthcare

Experts say that although far more people receive healthcare from the private sector than from government facilities, the government's attention to this sector remains limited. There is a lack of proper monitoring and support. Due to weak oversight, many private institutions operate as they wish — resulting in poor-quality tests and cases of mistreatment. This situation is affecting the entire healthcare system. For various reasons, many people also hesitate to trust even well-known private hospitals.

Experts emphasise that the government should strengthen monitoring and provide the necessary support to the private sector where needed.

"Private hospitals provide most healthcare in Bangladesh, but stronger monitoring and reporting are needed," said Dr Abu Jamil Foisal, a public health expert. "Better regulation will ensure quality improvement and greater public benefit."