Abstract

Author:
Hasib Mahmud and Mabia Sultana

Doi: 10.26480/jhcdc.01.2026.21.25

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Medical social work is specialized social work of professional nature with the objective of rendering all-round psychological, social, therapeutic, and economic care to the patients. Hospital social services in Bangladesh are a recent offshoot of medical social work with treatment being given to a large majority of patients with specialized departments. Such an analysis of the quality and efficiency of the services thus assumes a paramount role of importance.This descriptive study was conducted in the hospital social service departments of three hospitals in Barishal City between March 2022 and January 2024, with the objective of examining the current state of hospital social services. A total of 90 service recipients were included in the study, and data were collected using a structured interview schedule. The findings reveal that hospital social service departments offer a range of services such as free consultancy and counseling, economic help, psychological counseling, and medication. But with these developments, some problems were experienced, like inadequate government financing, lack of counseling services, and sudden termination of aid programs. The research underscores the critical necessity of extending hospital social services to the grass root in Bangladesh. Greater government support and greater public awareness must be achieved to make these services more effective, sustainable, and worthwhile in the national health system