Dhaka, May 22 -- Every time a president, prime minister, minister, senior bureaucrat or influential politician travels abroad for medical care or even routine check-ups, it sends a clear message to the public: our own healthcare system is not good enough, not even for those in charge.

This message is even more concerning now, as Bangladesh faces one of its worst measles outbreaks in recent years.

According to the World Health Organisation, measles transmission has spread across 58 of Bangladesh's 64 districts. Between mid-March and mid-May this year, more than 55,611 suspected cases with nearly 7,416 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported, alongside over 451 suspected measles-related deaths. Around 79 per cent of the cases involved ch...