Guidelines over receiving treatment abroad soon: Minister

Health minister Mohammed Nasim on Thursday told parliament that the government is formulating guidelines regarding receiving treatment abroad by Bangladeshi patients, reports UNB.

He came up with the disclosure while responding to a starred question from Enamur Rahaman, MP (Dhaka-19).

The minister said some patients of the country go abroad every year mainly for four reasons -- due to their economic solvency, love for treatment abroad, health tourism and in some cases for lack of suitable treatment facilities in the country.

To check such tendency of people, he said, the government has equipped the country's all medical college hospitals, specialised hospitals and general hospitals with modern machinery and technology to ensure better treatment.

Besides, Nasim said, there are some modern private hospitals which are providing treatment maintaining international standards where patients from other countries are receiving treatment.

Under the circumstances, he said, "The work on formulating guidelines for Bangladeshi patients regarding receiving treatment abroad is underway."

The minister, however, could not present the statistics about how many people go aboard from Bangladesh for treatment and their expenditure.