The Centre for Equity and Health System at ICDDR,B recently revealed the stunning facts that only 1% of City’s health service delivery is provided by public sector whereas 99% service is  provided by Private and NGO sectors.
This grossly inappropriate distribution of healthcare services has become evident by findings of the research study of the The Centre for Equity and Health System entitled “Mapping the Urban Health Services Landscape in Dhaka City”.
 The event held at icddr,b in Dhaka today released the study led by Prof. Dr. Alayne M. Adams and has been funded by Development for International Development (DFID), Bangladesh. At the event, the research team revealed impressive facts and figures and about the health care landscape in Dhaka City Corporations, evidence that was not available ever before.
Though the laborious and extensive mapping work the team identified 12,809 health facilities in Dhaka North and South City Corporations. More than 94% of all these facilities belong to the private sectors.
According to the findings, there are 105.5 health care facilities per 100,000 populations and approximately 4.4 hospitals bed per 1000 population in DCCs, although this is probably an overestimate as patients from all over the country come for treatment to health facilities in Dhaka.
While there is a higher concentration for health workforce in Dhaka City than anywhere else in the country, analysis showed that dramatic geographical inequities exist in the distribution of doctors with respect to population, especially in case of the poor and the disadvantaged. Primary health care services are mostly delivered at doctor’s chambers and NGO facilities closure to the community.
The study findings have multifaceted outcomes – at the policy level it would support health facilities planning and implementation; at the business planning level it would help identifying a suitable location to establish a particular type of health facilities ranging from hospital to pharmacies.
The event was attended by Annisul Huq, Mayor, Dhaka North City Corporation, as chief guest, while special guest was Prof. Dr. A.K. Azad, Additional Director General of Planning and Development and Line Director, MIS, DGHS.
Stethoscope desk