In March alone, amid a sudden measles outbreak, some 229 patients died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) awaiting ICU beds. Ninety-one of the deceased were children. Many died on waiting lists, never receiving the treatment they needed, and the numbers are still rising.

Rising healthcare costs have become a major cause of pushing people deeper into poverty. According to a 2015 study by the health ministry, out-of-