Bangladeshis spend around $4 billion abroad every year for healthcare, according to Malik Talha Ismail Bari, senior vice president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).

This is due to a lack of specialised treatment, trust in doctors and advanced technology within the country alongside costs being comparatively lower abroad, he said.

Bari, also a director of United Hospital, was delivering a keynote paper through a presentation at a seminar, styled "Reversing the Outbound Healthcare Tourism", at the DCCI yesterday.

There are 5,461 private hospitals and clinics in Bangladesh, of which 1,810 are within Dhaka division, he said.

People in rural areas are deprived of quality and adequate healthcare services while pressure is created for an influx of patients at healthcare facilities in Dhaka.

Limited infrastructure, a lack of skilled workforce, quality and safety concerns, low doctor-patient ratio and long waiting periods are some of the bottlenecks to access advanced healthcare in Bangladesh, he added.