Vice President of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation and eminent cardiologist Dr Zubaida Rahman on Wednesday stressed the need for coordinated efforts to expand critical care services across the country, saying no family should be devastated by the loss of a loved one because of inadequate access to proper treatment.

Bangladesh currently has only 1.7 critical care beds and nine general hospital beds for every one lakh people, she said at the inaugural ceremony of the Bangladesh Society of Critical Care Medicine (BSCCM) National Conference 2026 at a city hotel in the capital.

She also said 38 of the country's 64 districts do not have any Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facilities.

Dr Zubaida said around 80 to 90 percent of the country's critical care units are concentrated in Dhaka.Although 68 to 70 percent of Bangladesh's population lives in rural areas, most critical care units are located in hospitals in major cities, she added.

"Newborns, pregnant women, elderly patients suffering from pneumonia or stroke, and people critically injured in road accidents in remote areas are dying prematurely because they cannot access timely treatment," she said.

Highlighting the challenges facing the healthcare system, Dr Zubaida said the country is not only facing a shortage of hospital beds but also an acute shortage of specialist physicians including anaesthetists, cardiologists and neurologists as well as trained nurses and specialised medical equipment.

She called for proper planning and strong commitment to improve the situation despite resource constraints.

Emphasising the importance of advanced ambulance services, she said distance and transportation remain major barriers for critically ill patients.

"Although it may not be possible to provide ICU services immediately in every remote village, patients can be transported quickly to district hospitals through ambulances equipped with modern facilities. Therefore, every district headquarters hospital should have a critical care unit," she said.

Despite existing limitations, Dr Zubaida praised the dedication of the country's healthcare professionals.

"Even in the absence of an adequate healthcare system, our doctors are working tirelessly day and night to save patients and keep hope alive for countless families," she said.

Social Welfare Minister Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain, Health Secretary Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Medical University Professor Dr FM Siddiqui, BSCCM President Professor Dr Areef Ahsan and General Secretary Dr Mohammad Zafar Iqbal, among others, were present.