“When I went for a gynaecological checkup, the hospital ramp was broken. Even after I got inside, the doctor did not take me seriously, as if I were not even a woman.”
These were the words of Samiya (pseudonym), a physically disabled woman using a wheelchair.
According to the National Survey of Persons with Disabilities (NSPD), 1.93 million females in Bangladesh face some disability.
The survey also reported that a staggering 57.12% of disabled women felt discriminated against or harassed on different grounds.
Samiya thinks that most women with disabilities are deprived of necessary healthcare, as hospitals and clinics are often physically inaccessible to them.
She remarked, “In many cases, healthcare workers themselves show negligence or a lack of
understanding. When seeking sexual and reproductive health services, we often face discrimination based on the assumption that we do not need such care.”
Shirin Akhter, chairperson and program director of Women with Disabilities Development
Foundation (WDDF), told Dhaka Tribune: “Unless the health sector addresses the specific needs and rights of women with disabilities at every level, it will not be possible to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goal promise of leaving no one behind.”
Dr Ajanta Rani Saha, associate professor of General Pediatrics, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital (ShSMCH), told Dhaka Tribune: “Accessing healthcare is difficult even for the general people in our country. So, for people with disabilities, it is a huge challenge.”
“People with disabilities often face different types of limitations, and these should be approached with empathy and understanding. Unfortunately, many of our healthcare providers are not adequately prepared to serve persons with disabilities. And when it comes to women, they are already lagging behind even more,” said Dr Saha.
She said: “A woman with a disability is still a woman with the ability to reproduce, a fact that doctors need to learn and acknowledge. However, among our doctors, awareness about the fact that women with disabilities also need reproductive healthcare is very limited.”
Dr Saha emphasised the urgent need to incorporate disability-inclusive healthcare training into
the medical education system.
According to her, the change must begin at the curriculum level. From there, it should extend to the professional training phase, especially for doctors entering government service.
Dr Saha suggests that even dedicating just one to two hours to focused training on healthcare for persons with disabilities, particularly women, could make a significant impact.
Dr Tariq Ahsan, professor at the Institute of Education and Research at the University of Dhaka (DU), told Dhaka Tribune: “It is not just physical issues, they are also under immense mental stress.”
Dr Ahsan remarked that negative societal attitudes, loneliness and fear of abuse lead to depression, anxiety and a crisis of self-worth.
“While mental health services are already limited for ordinary women in Bangladesh, they are practically nonexistent for women with disabilities,” he added.
“They also suffer from basic health issues like malnutrition, lack of safe water and sanitation, and hormonal imbalances. Since their voices are often ignored in families and society, many do not even get the chance to speak about their own bodies and health,” said Dr Ahsan.
