Over 92% of people with mental disorders receive no treatment: Minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain has painted a grim picture of the mental health situation in Bangladesh, while outlining the government’s roadmap for the overall development of the country’s healthcare system.

He presented the scenario and roadmap while responding to questions from lawmakers during the question-answer session in parliament on Monday.

Mental health crisis

In response to a question from Cumilla-9 MP Md Abul Kalam, the minister said that over 92% of people suffering from mental disorders receive no medical treatment.

Citing the National Mental Health Survey, he informed the House that 16.8% of adults and 12.6% of children encounter psychiatric challenges. However, the system faces an acute bottleneck, with only 1.17 mental health workers available per 100,000 people and around 350 registered public-sector psychiatrists nationwide.

Sakhawat told the Jatiya Sangsad that while cardiovascular diseases and cancer remain the top drivers of mortality globally, mental disorders have become the leading cause of long-term disability. The government is introducing a strategic framework to address the issue.

Workforce crisis and recruitment initiative

Responding to a question from reserved-seat MP Sabikunnahar on workforce shortages, the health minister admitted to severe vacancies across all institutional tiers. To address this crisis, the government is launching a major recruitment drive to appoint 100,000 healthcare workers, fast-tracking the initiative to fulfil the ruling party’s electoral commitment.

He also presented the official statistics highlighting the sharp contrast between sanctioned posts and active staff. 

According to the minister, 9,407 of the 41,806 doctor posts are vacant. Similarly, 4,577 of the 49,879 nurse posts and 15,207 of the 23,500 family welfare assistant posts remain vacant.

To fill these vacancies, a continuous recruitment process through the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) is underway, he said. 

This includes the recruitment of 450 doctors from the 45th BCS, 1,682 from the 46th BCS, 1,331 from the 47th BCS, and 650 from the 50th BCS. However, results for 10th-grade midwife posts have also been finalised, with successful candidates undergoing background verifications prior to permanent postings at the village level, the minister added.

Health costs in private sector

Replying to a question from Dhaka-5 MP Mohammad Kamal Hossain regarding unregulated medical bills, Sakhawat said that the ministry is drafting the Health Protection Act to address the issue. 

The proposed law will introduce strict legal provisions to enforce standardised price caps on private hospital operation theatre (OT) charges, ICU fees, and pathological laboratory tests, preventing the financial exploitation of patients.

Responding to another question from Cumilla-4 MP Md Abul Hasnat regarding hospital mismanagement, the minister announced a complete shift away from person-dependent governance. Moving forward, the public health sector will be regulated through a technology-based accountability system.

Plan to upgrade rural healthcare

The health minister also highlighted the government’s initiatives to improve the rural healthcare system.

According to him, feasibility studies have been completed to upgrade upazila hospitals from 50 to 100 beds. Pilot projects on digital health transformation are underway in several districts, while steps are being taken to expand logistics networks to provide life-saving medicines for cancer, diabetes and primary healthcare free of cost to marginalised communities.