Anarchy has been created in the field of medical services due to the absence of a functional referral system. Experts said patients rush to the renowned hospitals in Dhaka, especially government medical facilities, to get better treatment from outside of the capital city. As a result, seriously sick patients, in most cases, failed to get medical treatment in due time.
In case of normal illness, thousands of people used to come to capital Dhaka for receiving medical treatment which was possible in a local hospital. Meanwhile, many seriously sick persons tried and failed to get emergency medical treatment due to such a rush of average patients. People coming to Dhaka from outside districts suffered bitter experiences while reaching hospitals for healthcare due to a lack of a proper referral process. Relatives of many patients have to move from one hospital to another to seek emergency healthcare. It is a common scenario in most government hospitals like Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and such others.
The sufferers said that it is not only in case of visiting physicians but also for cases of medical tests as huge rush are creating anarchies. Public health experts said that a proper referral system is very much necessary for rendering adequate medical treatment in a highly densely populated country. Firstly, a patient has to go to his local upazila hospital to visit a doctor. In case of necessity, the physicians would refer him to district-level hospitals. If the patient’s sickness is more serious that it is needed to send him/her to Dhaka or other city’s higher medical facilities then those doctors have to refer them for such.
An integrated network among all healthcare facilities can provide a proper referral system that will enable optimum uses of resources involved in the healthcare system. A strong referral system will ease the burden on tertiary hospitals and help utilize up to union-level medicare facilities.
