" Prevention is better than cure"—this phrase is something we have heard many times, but how much can we follow in reality? Especially in a developing country like Bangladesh, where a large portion of the population lives day after day, regular health check-ups are a luxury for many.
Most of the people in our country belong to the low working class. They start working in the morning and return home at night just to feed their families twice a day. These people do not get the time or opportunity to think about taking care of their bodies. How can a farmer or a rickshaw puller think that he needs to get a check-up once a year? For him, that too is an additional expense—the doctor's fee, the cost of the test, the price of the medicine, all of which are beyond his means.
In Bangladesh, good medical treatment still means going to the city. Villagers usually get medicine from the local pharmacy for minor ailments—let alone seeing a doctor. On top of that, long waiting times in hospitals, inadequate treatment, and in some cases, misconduct or mismanagement also discourage people. So they do not want to see a doctor until they are completely weak.
However, the good news is that some NGOs and private organizations are now trying to provide healthcare at the village level. They are not only spreading medical treatment, but also spreading health awareness. As a result, many people now know how important regular health check-ups are for life. If the government supports these initiatives more, if medical costs can be reduced, then one day we may see a Bangladesh where every person is aware of their own body.
Health check-ups do not just mean finding diseases, it is a kind of awareness, a sense of responsibility towards oneself. If this message can be conveyed to the people of the remote areas of the country, then we can build a new Bangladesh not only about medical treatment, but also about health.