Bangladesh: A Nation Turning into a Hospital! Is the Entire Country Becoming a Hospital?
By Mir Abdul Alim
It seems as though the entire country has turned into one vast hospital. Wherever we look, we hear news of illness among acquaintances, relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Some are confined to their beds at home, others are in general hospital wards, some are in intensive care units, while others are fighting for their lives on life support. Every day, when we check our phones, we come across news of someone falling ill, undergoing surgery, being diagnosed with cancer, suffering kidney failure, heart disease or a stroke, or facing complications from diabetes and high blood pressure. Even relatively young people are increasingly suffering from complex health conditions. This raises an important question: Are we gradually becoming a nation of sick people? Were such diseases less common in the past, or has their prevalence increased? Hospitals are expanding, the number of doctors is growing, diagnostic centres are multiplying, and pharmacies are opening everywhere. But is the number of healthy people increasing at the same pace? Or, beneath the outward appearance of development, are we building a way of life in which illness has become an accepted part of everyday reality?
There was a time when people’s lifestyles were much closer to nature. Food was seasonal and diverse, walking was part of daily life, and physical labour in fields and rural surroundings was common. Fish from ponds, fruits from trees, vegetables and home-cooked meals formed a significant part of people’s diets. That picture has changed considerably. Our eating habits are now dominated by excessive sugar, salt, oil and fat, along with soft drinks, fast food, processed products and various packaged foods. Unhealthy food has become commonplace, from children’s lunchboxes to adults’ snacks. Food that looks attractive is not necessarily safe or nutritious. Food adulteration, the use of harmful chemicals, improper preservation and the preparation and sale of food in unhygienic conditions pose serious threats to public health. Allegations of irregularities at different stages of the food supply chain, including fruit ripening, fish and meat preservation, spice production and beverage manufacturing, have persisted for years. Food cannot be held solely responsible for every illness. However, if the food we consume every day becomes a source of risk to our health, how realistic is our expectation of living a healthy life?
It is essential to ask whether food safety is being ensured at every stage, from production to marketing. The uncontrolled use of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture, the discharge of industrial waste into water bodies, failure to maintain hygiene during food production and preservation, and the circulation of substandard products in markets are all matters of serious public health concern. Vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and even rice cannot automatically be assumed to be safe. Food safety is not merely a matter of individual consumer awareness; it is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the state. Access to safe food is a basic human right. Yet how can an ordinary consumer know which food contains harmful substances and which is safe? Without properly equipped laboratories, regular monitoring and strict enforcement of the law, this problem cannot be solved.
It is not only our food that is putting our health at risk. The environment around us is gradually becoming a factory of disease. Air pollution in Dhaka and other major cities has reached alarming levels. Dust, black smoke from vehicles, emissions from brick kilns and industrial plants, construction-related pollution and smoke from burning waste enter our lungs every day. According to the World Health Organization’s 2024 Bangladesh Environment and Health Country Scorecard, the country’s annual average concentration of fine particulate matter, PM2.5, is nearly nine times higher than the WHO-recommended safe level. A 2024 World Bank report estimated that air pollution, unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and exposure to lead contribute to more than 272,000 premature deaths in Bangladesh every year and account for 5.2 billion days of illness. These figures should serve as a grave warning. How safe is the air we breathe, the water we drink and the environment in which we are raising our children?
Meanwhile, the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, hypertension and stroke, is equally alarming. According to 2025 data from the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases account for approximately 71 per cent of all deaths in Bangladesh. This means that a substantial proportion of the country’s health risks comes from diseases, many of which can be reduced through timely prevention, early detection and proper management. Excessive consumption of salt, sugar and fat, smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, unhealthy eating habits and prolonged psychological stress increase the risk of these diseases. We eat more than we need but walk less than we should. We stay up late, sleep too little and spend our days under mental pressure. We often ignore minor health problems, while sometimes taking medicines even when they are unnecessary. The practice of taking antibiotics without a doctor’s advice is also dangerous. Over time, the combined effects of these habits can lead to serious health conditions.
Another major problem is that we pay far more attention to treatment after falling ill than to preventing disease in the first place. We do not regularly check our blood pressure or monitor our blood sugar levels, and we remain unaware of the condition of our kidneys and liver. Only after becoming seriously ill and being admitted to hospital do we discover that a disease may have been developing inside our bodies for a long time. We have yet to develop the habit of regular health check-ups, healthy eating, adequate sleep, physical activity and following medical advice. Many people stop taking prescribed medicines as soon as they begin to feel better. Others change their medication based on the advice of friends or relatives. Such negligence puts lives at even greater risk.
The expansion of hospitals is certainly necessary. Population growth, increasing life expectancy, wider access to medical services, modern diagnostic technologies and greater public awareness can all contribute to an increase in the number of patients visiting hospitals and healthcare centres. Therefore, it would not be scientifically sound to conclude that the number of diseases has increased simply because more hospitals have been built. Nevertheless, when the growing demand for hospital beds, intensive care units, coronary care units and life-support facilities creates so much public concern, it is time to rethink the fundamental objectives of our healthcare system. A country’s success cannot be measured merely by the number of hospitals constructed, medical equipment purchased or doctors recruited. The true measure of healthcare progress should be how many people remain free from disease, how many illnesses are prevented before they develop, and how many people are able to enjoy healthy lives.
The relevant ministries and government departments have significant responsibilities in this regard. The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, the Department of Agricultural Extension, the Department of Environment and local administrations must work together in a coordinated manner. Regular drives against food adulteration and the use of harmful chemicals must be accompanied by the public disclosure of laboratory test results. Simply imposing fines on offenders and allowing them to walk away is not enough. Exemplary punishment must be ensured in serious cases. Effective monitoring must be strengthened over food products in markets, sources of drinking water, industrial waste, air pollution and the use of chemicals in agriculture. Nutrition and health education should be strengthened at the school level. Primary healthcare services, regular disease screening and affordable treatment facilities must be made more accessible in every locality. At the same time, strict oversight is necessary to prevent unnecessary medical tests, irrational prescribing and the harassment or exploitation of patients.
The media also has an important role to play. When issues such as food adulteration, environmental pollution, medical irregularities or public health crises emerge, the responsibility of the media should not end with simply publishing news reports. It must also investigate the causes of these problems, identify the individuals or institutions responsible, and highlight possible solutions. People must be made aware of the dangers of rumours, misinformation about treatment and unscientific health advice spreading through social media. Every citizen also has a responsibility. We must develop habits of choosing food carefully, drinking safe water, walking regularly, avoiding smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, getting sufficient sleep and undergoing medical check-ups when necessary.
We do not want a Bangladesh where people spend a significant part of their lives in hospital corridors, where family savings are exhausted by medical expenses and where the future of children becomes uncertain because of illness. Hospitals must exist, doctors must be available, and access to modern medical treatment must continue to improve. But what is even more important is building a society in which fewer people fall ill. We must remember that receiving treatment after becoming sick is essential, but preventing illness before it occurs is even more important. Without ensuring food safety, clean air, safe drinking water, healthy lifestyles and an accountable healthcare system, we cannot build a healthy nation simply by increasing the number of hospitals.
The question today is simple: Will we only build more hospitals, or will we also address and eliminate the causes of illness? The state, society and citizens must all make that decision now. Because the true measure of a country’s development does not lie in filling hospital beds; rather, it lies in reducing the need for hospitals.
Mir Abdul Alim
Journalist and Columnist
It seems as though the entire country has turned into one vast hospital. Wherever we look, we hear news of illness among acquaintances, relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Some are confined to their beds at home, others are in general hospital wards, some are in intensive care units, while others are fighting for their lives on life support. Every day, when we check our phones, we come across news of someone falling ill, undergoing surgery, being diagnosed with cancer, suffering kidney failure, heart disease or a stroke, or facing complications from diabetes and high blood pressure. Even relatively young people are increasingly suffering from complex health conditions. This raises an important question: Are we gradually becoming a nation of sick people? Were such diseases less common in the past, or has their prevalence increased? Hospitals are expanding, the number of doctors is growing, diagnostic centres are multiplying, and pharmacies are opening everywhere. But is the number of healthy people increasing at the same pace? Or, beneath the outward appearance of development, are we building a way of life in which illness has become an accepted part of everyday reality?
There was a time when people’s lifestyles were much closer to nature. Food was seasonal and diverse, walking was part of daily life, and physical labour in fields and rural surroundings was common. Fish from ponds, fruits from trees, vegetables and home-cooked meals formed a significant part of people’s diets. That picture has changed considerably. Our eating habits are now dominated by excessive sugar, salt, oil and fat, along with soft drinks, fast food, processed products and various packaged foods. Unhealthy food has become commonplace, from children’s lunchboxes to adults’ snacks. Food that looks attractive is not necessarily safe or nutritious. Food adulteration, the use of harmful chemicals, improper preservation and the preparation and sale of food in unhygienic conditions pose serious threats to public health. Allegations of irregularities at different stages of the food supply chain, including fruit ripening, fish and meat preservation, spice production and beverage manufacturing, have persisted for years. Food cannot be held solely responsible for every illness. However, if the food we consume every day becomes a source of risk to our health, how realistic is our expectation of living a healthy life?
It is essential to ask whether food safety is being ensured at every stage, from production to marketing. The uncontrolled use of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture, the discharge of industrial waste into water bodies, failure to maintain hygiene during food production and preservation, and the circulation of substandard products in markets are all matters of serious public health concern. Vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and even rice cannot automatically be assumed to be safe. Food safety is not merely a matter of individual consumer awareness; it is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the state. Access to safe food is a basic human right. Yet how can an ordinary consumer know which food contains harmful substances and which is safe? Without properly equipped laboratories, regular monitoring and strict enforcement of the law, this problem cannot be solved.
It is not only our food that is putting our health at risk. The environment around us is gradually becoming a factory of disease. Air pollution in Dhaka and other major cities has reached alarming levels. Dust, black smoke from vehicles, emissions from brick kilns and industrial plants, construction-related pollution and smoke from burning waste enter our lungs every day. According to the World Health Organization’s 2024 Bangladesh Environment and Health Country Scorecard, the country’s annual average concentration of fine particulate matter, PM2.5, is nearly nine times higher than the WHO-recommended safe level. A 2024 World Bank report estimated that air pollution, unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and exposure to lead contribute to more than 272,000 premature deaths in Bangladesh every year and account for 5.2 billion days of illness. These figures should serve as a grave warning. How safe is the air we breathe, the water we drink and the environment in which we are raising our children?
Meanwhile, the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, hypertension and stroke, is equally alarming. According to 2025 data from the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases account for approximately 71 per cent of all deaths in Bangladesh. This means that a substantial proportion of the country’s health risks comes from diseases, many of which can be reduced through timely prevention, early detection and proper management. Excessive consumption of salt, sugar and fat, smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, unhealthy eating habits and prolonged psychological stress increase the risk of these diseases. We eat more than we need but walk less than we should. We stay up late, sleep too little and spend our days under mental pressure. We often ignore minor health problems, while sometimes taking medicines even when they are unnecessary. The practice of taking antibiotics without a doctor’s advice is also dangerous. Over time, the combined effects of these habits can lead to serious health conditions.
Another major problem is that we pay far more attention to treatment after falling ill than to preventing disease in the first place. We do not regularly check our blood pressure or monitor our blood sugar levels, and we remain unaware of the condition of our kidneys and liver. Only after becoming seriously ill and being admitted to hospital do we discover that a disease may have been developing inside our bodies for a long time. We have yet to develop the habit of regular health check-ups, healthy eating, adequate sleep, physical activity and following medical advice. Many people stop taking prescribed medicines as soon as they begin to feel better. Others change their medication based on the advice of friends or relatives. Such negligence puts lives at even greater risk.
The expansion of hospitals is certainly necessary. Population growth, increasing life expectancy, wider access to medical services, modern diagnostic technologies and greater public awareness can all contribute to an increase in the number of patients visiting hospitals and healthcare centres. Therefore, it would not be scientifically sound to conclude that the number of diseases has increased simply because more hospitals have been built. Nevertheless, when the growing demand for hospital beds, intensive care units, coronary care units and life-support facilities creates so much public concern, it is time to rethink the fundamental objectives of our healthcare system. A country’s success cannot be measured merely by the number of hospitals constructed, medical equipment purchased or doctors recruited. The true measure of healthcare progress should be how many people remain free from disease, how many illnesses are prevented before they develop, and how many people are able to enjoy healthy lives.
The relevant ministries and government departments have significant responsibilities in this regard. The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, the Department of Agricultural Extension, the Department of Environment and local administrations must work together in a coordinated manner. Regular drives against food adulteration and the use of harmful chemicals must be accompanied by the public disclosure of laboratory test results. Simply imposing fines on offenders and allowing them to walk away is not enough. Exemplary punishment must be ensured in serious cases. Effective monitoring must be strengthened over food products in markets, sources of drinking water, industrial waste, air pollution and the use of chemicals in agriculture. Nutrition and health education should be strengthened at the school level. Primary healthcare services, regular disease screening and affordable treatment facilities must be made more accessible in every locality. At the same time, strict oversight is necessary to prevent unnecessary medical tests, irrational prescribing and the harassment or exploitation of patients.
The media also has an important role to play. When issues such as food adulteration, environmental pollution, medical irregularities or public health crises emerge, the responsibility of the media should not end with simply publishing news reports. It must also investigate the causes of these problems, identify the individuals or institutions responsible, and highlight possible solutions. People must be made aware of the dangers of rumours, misinformation about treatment and unscientific health advice spreading through social media. Every citizen also has a responsibility. We must develop habits of choosing food carefully, drinking safe water, walking regularly, avoiding smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, getting sufficient sleep and undergoing medical check-ups when necessary.
We do not want a Bangladesh where people spend a significant part of their lives in hospital corridors, where family savings are exhausted by medical expenses and where the future of children becomes uncertain because of illness. Hospitals must exist, doctors must be available, and access to modern medical treatment must continue to improve. But what is even more important is building a society in which fewer people fall ill. We must remember that receiving treatment after becoming sick is essential, but preventing illness before it occurs is even more important. Without ensuring food safety, clean air, safe drinking water, healthy lifestyles and an accountable healthcare system, we cannot build a healthy nation simply by increasing the number of hospitals.
The question today is simple: Will we only build more hospitals, or will we also address and eliminate the causes of illness? The state, society and citizens must all make that decision now. Because the true measure of a country’s development does not lie in filling hospital beds; rather, it lies in reducing the need for hospitals.
Mir Abdul Alim
Journalist and Columnist
Advisory from the Board of Trustees,
Sonargaon University.
01733361111
