TUHIN SHUBHRA ADHIKARY

Bangladesh’s national teleconsultation service, Shastho Batayan, is stumbling as the government’s contract with its private service provider expired nearly two months ago, and many phone calls are going unanswered.

Accessible through the 16263 hotline, the round-the-clock service enables citizens across the country to consult doctors and receive health information and advice free of charge over the phone.

Since its launch in 2015, Shastho Batayan has handled more than 2.72 crore calls until June 24 this year, providing a vital healthcare lifeline to countless people, particularly those in remote and underserved areas.

The crisis has deepened as the service provider, Synesis IT, says it has not received payments for the past 22 months, forcing it to slash manpower by half and raising fears over the future of one of the country’s most widely used free health services.

While Shastho Batayan typically receives between 5,000 and 6,000 calls on average a day, its reduced workforce now allows it to answer only around 3,000 to 3,500 calls, leaving thousands of callers without assistance.

The service proved indispensable during the Covid-19 pandemic, when it emerged as a critical channel for remote medical consultation at a time when access to hospitals and clinics was severely disrupted. Rezaul

SEE PAGE 2 COL 1