Health care is a pressing issue in Bangladesh but, things seem to be improving with the strong resolve to ensure equitable health care for each and every citizen. As the country works towards increasing infrastructure of health care facilities it would need to use advanced technology as the backbone of the new system.
Thus, there is a tremendous scope for teleradiology to quicken delivery and reach of health care.
Teleradiology can facilitate Bangladesh’s journey towards improved health care:
1. Focus on achieving universal health coverage:
March 2018 report from The World Bank has stated that Bangladesh has made a remarkable progress in the field of health and nutrition with reference to Millennium Development Goals. Major achievements have been an increase in immunization rates and reduction in under nutrition rates.
Bangladesh now is focusing on achieving universal health coverage by the year 2032. To achieve these goals the entire health care system has to be backed with progress in technology.
If the radiologists to interpret the diagnostic reports like CT Scan, PET CT Scan, PSMA PET CT Scan, X-ray or MRI are not available then diagnosis and further care will be denied to patients. This bottleneck can be resolved by sharing reports to radiologists in India through teleradiology. India has expert teleradiologists working 24×7 with sub-specialties giving accurate interpretations. These teleradiology services are available at economical costs thus, the cost won’t be a major challenge either.
2. Care focused in urban areas:
Public hospitals treat most medical conditions but tertiary care is available only in urban areas. Thus, specialized health care is restricted to urban areas and isn’t easily accessible to rural communities accounting for 60% of population in Bangladesh.
As per the Center for Research and Information (CRI) in Dhaka the country has 600 hospitals. Most private clinics and hospitals are concentrated in urban areas. The Apollo Hospital complex in Dhaka has broad range of health care facilities. It happens to be the only hospital in Bangladesh to receive an accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI).
Some NGOs run hospitals and are situated outside the main urban areas. They are private not-for-profits hospitals. For example, Kumudini Hospital in Mirzapur and the Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed (CRP) near Chandpur.
Thus, most health care facilities are concentrated in urban areas or satellite towns near cities like Rajshahi. Thus, the rural hospitals don’t have adequate facilities to extend health care services to their patients. Radiology services especially sub-specialists might be rarely available in rural areas.
Radiologists in urban areas might get overburdened over the years. This challenge can be resolved through teleradiology services available in countries like India where the services are quick and specialized.
3. Cancer challenge:
Each year around 1.5 lakh people contract cancer in Bangladesh as per the 2018 report released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. But there is just one palliative care under government management at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). While its quite unfortunate that hospitals specialized in cancer are just four. There is only one radiotherapy facility outside Dhaka at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
To improve cancer care in Bangladesh, health care professionals could turn their attention to India where there are specialized health care centers and teleradiologists are specialized in diagnosing suspected cancer.
4. Progress in digital health:
Bangladesh is progressing remarkably fast in the field of digital health. The fragmented data systems are now unified. This has assisted data exchange for decision making. The country is working towards lifetime electronic health records for the entire population, which can improve health care facilities.
People are asked to engaged in shaping health service through web-based complaints and creating new system to raise health awareness. Innovations in the field of health care has found strong support from influential politicians as well.
Thus, as the country paves its path towards technological innovation, teleradiology would play a crucial role. As Bangladesh embraces digital health, teleradiology can be a tool to move further towards better health care.
Future Teleradiology has created a team of expert teleradiologists available 24×7. Consistent telereporting qualities, updated knowledge, experience, and skills needed for teleradiology are its key features.
Future Teleradiology based in India provides teleradiology services all around the globe. You may be located in Bangladesh, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria Ghana, Iraq, Libya, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, etc. or any other country- reach out to us for the best teleradiology services.