Healthcare crisis in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact worldwide. Developed countries, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain, had their highly efficient medical infrastructure greatly stressed and suffered from high death tolls. Similarly, Bangladesh, a poverty-stricken South Asian country, is losing its battle against the pandemic, but mainly because of its incompetent healthcare system. The casualties are escalating and public sufferings are becoming unimaginable. On this backdrop, this perspective piece discusses the healthcare crisis in Bangladesh during the pandemic. This article also identifies three responsible issues for the country's deteriorating health care: 1) poor governance and increased corruption, 2) inadequate healthcare facilities, and 3) weak public health communication.