China is planning to make a significant investment in Bangladesh’s healthcare sector, including the construction of a major hospital. The proposed name of the hospital is ‘China-Bangladesh Friendship General Hospital’. Land is currently being scouted for the hospital in Dhaka, Chattogram and northern districts of the country.
This information has been sourced from the minutes of a meeting held on 19 February at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) regarding Chinese assistance in the health sector, as well as from sources within the health ministry.
According to ministry officials, in addition to constructing the hospital, China will provide investment support in other areas of healthcare. Among the initiatives, equipment for a robotic physiotherapy centre has already reached the country.
China has long maintained a significant presence in Bangladesh’s healthcare sector. Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies regularly import active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from China. Additionally, a substantial portion of medical equipment and apparatus is imported from there by local businesses. Every year, many Bangladeshi students travel to China for medical education. Bangladesh also procured a large quantity of COVID-19 vaccines from China.
According to a high-level source within the Ministry of Health, the hospital will be developed with the assistance of some of the world’s leading specialists. It is expected that a healthcare hub will be established in northern Bangladesh centering this hospital. The final selection of the hospital’s location may be confirmed within this month.
Investment in Healthcare projects including hospital
At a meeting held on 19 February at the Economic Relations Division regarding Chinese assistance in the health sector, it was decided that three projects would be developed. These include a general hospital, a tertiary hospital and a rehabilitation centre for those injured during the July mass uprising.
Several officials from the Ministry of Health and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) visited Nilphamari district to inspect land for the hospital on Saturday.
A member of the delegation, speaking on condition of anonymity, informed Prothom Alo that a minimum of 12 acres of land is required to construct a hospital with a capacity of 500 to 700 beds. Acquiring such land has proven to be challenging.
The official further stated that the general hospital could potentially be located in Mirpur, Uttara or Dhamrai in Dhaka. The tertiary specialised hospital may be established in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Nilphamari or another district in northern Bangladesh. Whichever of these districts can offer 12 acres of dispute-free land will be selected for the hospital site.
Meanwhile, the rehabilitation centre for those injured during the July mass uprising is planned to be established at the Bangladesh Medical University. According to the meeting minutes, the necessary equipment for this robotic physiotherapy centre has already arrived in the country.
More engagements in other sectors
China will also provide funding for the renovation and modernisation of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). It was decided at the ERD meeting that necessary measures would be taken promptly to secure approval for the relevant project document.
Health Adviser Noorjahan Begum informed Prothom Alo that, in celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and China, the Chinese government is giving a gift to the people of Bangladesh a 1000-bed hospital. It is currently being considered for construction in Rangpur, in the northern region of the country. In addition, private investment from China is also expected.
A 200-member delegation from China is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in the near future, during which further details regarding these initiatives are expected to be clarified, she added.