Bangladeshis spend more than $5 billion annually on medical treatment abroad, with India and Thailand being the primary destinations due to their more advanced healthcare systems, according to Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur.

Mansur said that much of this expenditure occurs unofficially, placing considerable pressure on the country's balance of payments.

A decade ago, the government set a target of bringing out-of-pocket health care expenses down to 32 percent by 2032, but the burden of medical spending on people has only gotten heavier over the years.