Patients cannot take legal action against doctors even on plausible grounds due to lack of proper law and unawareness about patients' rights, they said and demanded an end to this situation.

The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and Health Consumers Rights Forum (HCRF) made the demands at an exchange of views with journalists.

Cab and HCRF leaders said lots of pledges are made at seminars and discussions to ensure proper healthcare but those are never materialised.

Negligence to duties on the part of doctors and nurses, wrong treatment and their misbehaviour with patients and faulty reports by diagnostic centres have brought the health sector to a poor state. As a result, many people now prefer to go abroad for treatment, they pointed out.

They made a 13-point recommendation to improve healthcare. Their recommendations include formulation and implementation of a people-oriented national health and drug policy, steps to implement government pledges for better healthcare facilities, accountability of doctors and others concerned in the health sector, an end to political interference in the sector and expansion of healthcare facilities in rural areas.

The authorities should also ensure that doctors follow the 10-point code of ethics formulated by Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) and give more emphasis on behavioural and ethical education of doctors, the recommendations said.

They stressed regular training of doctors and nurses to improve their professional skill. Training conducted by the Pharmacy Council should be further improved and expanded, they felt.

Cab President Kazi Farook chaired the meeting and speakers included Shamsuzzoha, Emdad Hossain Malek and Dr Yasmin Ahmed.