It is the poor who will be hit the hardest by the increases, particularly the abject poor who have no recourse but the free beds and the free treatment at the public hospitals that went with it so far. One can only wonder what the option of those people, who were dependent entirely on the state, would be? The rationale of increasing the costs of treatment at public hospitals defies comprehension.

Public hospitals have so far been a redeeming feature in the otherwise scant services provided by the state, particularly to the poor, where they could at least expect some relief for their health problems, and where their healthcare needs were addressed to, in whatever little way that was possible through providing free treatment. Mere profit and loss should not be the criterion of running these hospitals. It would be well to remember that our public hospitals had been providing welfare service to the extremely poor, that had nowhere but these hospitals to go to.

Even for the middle class, public hospitals have been the only option that has now been made costlier since charges on certain items have also been enhanced. The mushrooming of private hospitals is of little help with charges so exorbitant that makes it out of reach even for the middle class of the society.

However, one cannot but also query why was the issuance of the order regarding this matter being treated in a secretive manner, issuing after almost a fortnight of it being signed and announcing only at the fag end of the tenure of the BNP-Jamaat coalition govt? Certainly the government of the day was aware that it would not go down well with people.

To a very large number of our people public hospitals are the only sources of succor for their medical problems. We suggest that the government seriously reconsider the matter and rescind the order.