Write a PREreview

Purpose: This paper aims to critically examine the persistent service delivery failures in Bangladesh's health sector through a management lens, against the popular claim of budget shortage or inadequate resource allocation.Research Design: A multi-method qualitative design was employed, combining media content analysis, field visits, and citizen interviews. Data were gathered in two phases (2009–12 and 2021–24) to reveal recurring patterns. The study uses ethnographic observation, narrative inquiry, and analytical narratives to understand the nature and depth of management failures in the public health system.Findings: The longitudinal findings over more than ten years reveal widespread inefficiencies including chronic vacancies, mismatched deployment of health professionals and equipment, non-functional logistics, absenteeism, regulatory failures, and broken accountability mechanisms. These issues are not isolated incidents but recurrent patterns spanning over a decade. They illustrate that despite physical and infrastructural progress, service delivery remains undermined by the absence of strategic HR planning, weak operational systems, and poor governance.Contribution: The study underscores the need for a managerial transformation in public health governance. Based on health sector case, it contributes to the literature on public sector management in developing countries by emphasizing the importance of management capability over mere resource infusion.