Impacts of Covid-19 on the Treatment of Kidney Dialysis Patients in Bangladesh: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

This paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment of kidney dialysis patients in Bangladesh, with a focus on the challenges encountered, lessons learned, and future directions. We evaluated how COVID-19 has affected the ongoing care of kidney disease in selected hospitals in Bangladesh. The significance of this study originates from the rising prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Bangladesh - a situation exacerbated by the pandemic and demanding critical attention. Applying both primary and secondary data, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach incorporating quantitative and qualitative analyses. Data were collected from public and private healthcare facilities. Findings indicate that patients experienced considerable challenges, including delays in receiving treatment and high out-of-pocket expenditures, which led to worsened health outcomes. The study also highlights regional disparities in treatment costs and explores variations in perceived transmission risks based on facility type, as well as patients’ preferences for seeking treatment abroad during the outbreak. On the supply side, key barriers included staff shortages and reduced patient volumes in public facilities. The paper concludes with recommendations to address financial barriers, expand access to affordable dialysis services in underserved regions, and enhance healthcare infrastructure and workforce capacity to improve resilience in future public health emergencies.