The health of people in different socioeconomic groups varies, but when comparing individuals of different educational backgrounds, occupational specializations, and income brackets, it becomes clear that those at the bottom of the social pyramid have the worst health.
Work, education, wealth, and race are significant determinants of a person's access to healthcare. Having established that certain individuals lack access to healthcare due to several etiologies, the question arises whether gaining access to healthcare should be regarded as a privilege or a right.
As valuable social entities, humans have the right, not the privilege, to healthcare access, as determined by nature, natural laws, and natural rights.
This right to healthcare was first recognized in the 1946 World Health Organization (WHO) constitution, stating: "The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition."
Article 15(a) of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh guarantees healthcare services as a fundamental right to all citizens.
Therefore, access to healthcare is vital for the soul's optimal development and the cultivation of its intellect as a thinker and a citizen.
This, however, becomes difficult for the unemployed and underemployed due to their lack of economic strength, which limits their access to healthcare. Furthermore, the epidemic has demonstrated that healthcare is a privilege and not a right.
Although not all of them are unemployed or underemployed, it is undeniable that occupational status impacts insurance status, which in turn affects health status, and there is compelling evidence linking racial inequality and low socioeconomic position to poor health.
According to Asian Development Bank(ADB), 20.5% of the population of Bangladesh is living below the national poverty line. Individuals are denied access to healthcare or receive substandard care due to costly user fees.
We should be discussing this crucial topic as many people even have declared bankruptcy due to the high cost of medical expenses. Healthcare is a vital human right, and individuals should not have to choose between their own health and their medical expenditures. No one should needlessly suffer because they cannot afford the necessary medical care.
Universal healthcare can help families avoid potential bankruptcy. One recent study has claimed that 62.1% of bankruptcies were triggered by medical issues.
Universal healthcare aims to lower medical expenses. Globally, universal healthcare has enabled residents to maintain their health and incur less out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Everyone ought to have access to universal healthcare. Bangladesh is one of the world's most populous countries, with about 170 million inhabitants. We also have a significant number of individuals in need of medical care.
Countries with the most cost-effective healthcare systems, such as Malaysia, regulate the prices of drugs and hospitals performing life-saving treatments. Nonetheless, the healthcare system in Bangladesh allows patients to pay significantly higher fees for prescription drugs than the worldwide average, and those who cannot afford life-saving medical operations are left in debt or without hospital visits.
Healthcare services are indeed a finite resource that requires funding to operate, but is access to healthcare a privilege reserved for individuals who can afford it, just as it is with every other commodity? Over time, the debate on whether healthcare is a right or a privilege has intensified.
The right to health is quite unique and stands apart from other traditional rights, and there is a worldwide infrastructure dedicated to ensuring the right's significance. We should unite as one because, in the end, we are all human beings of the same kind.
Arefin Sadat is a freelance contributor.
