Private health care providers in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Information is presented on the private health care providers of rural Bangladesh. Medical manpower and facilities were studied in 121 randomly selected administrative units of Bangladesh in 1976. 43 were found to have facilities for medical care. 2120 private health practitioners were identified, of whom 38.7% were qualified or unqualified allopathic practitioners, 35.9% were full time practitioners, and 1.3% (excluding traditional midwives) were female. Allopathic practitioners charged more than other practitioners for treatment of pneumonia or diarrhea, homeopathic practitioners charged the least, and the fees of Ayurvedic, Unani, and spiritual healers were intermediate. This and other studies indicate that the allopathic system of medicine is the most popular in rural Bangladesh despite its higher costs. Estimates of the number of qualified allopathic doctors working in rural areas of Bangladesh based on the survey sample give a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:29,000. The ratio of other medical practitioners to the 76 million rural population is 1:1000. It is argued that such private health care providers should be incorporated into government health care programs because of their accessibility to rural people