Chinese envoy meets health adviser

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen called on Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum at the Bangladesh Secretariat here on Wednesday afternoon.

During the meeting, they discussed ongoing and future cooperation in the health sector - particularly, the construction of a 1,000-bed modern hospital in Rangpur division with Chinese assistance, launching mobile hospital services for remote areas, and supplying dialysis machines to kidney patients across the country.

During the meeting, the Chinese envoy said the Chinese government will not only limit itself to building infrastructure and providing medical equipment; it will also give assistance in providing necessary training to operate these equipment.

Taking part in the meeting, Chief Adviser's Special Assistant (Health ministry) Professor Dr Md Sayedur Rahman said, "There is a plan to install 1,200 dialysis machines in all the divisional hospitals and district headquarters hospitals of Bangladesh soon. This will reduce the long-term suffering of kidney patients to a great extent. The cooperation of the Chinese government can play a vital role in implementing this initiative."

Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum said China is a long-standing friendly country of Bangladesh.

"Such friendly cooperation of the Chinese government in the health sector will further deepen and strengthen our mutual relations," she added.

The secretaries of the Health Services Division and Health Education Division, senior officials of the ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka and representatives of the Economic Relations Department (ERD) were also present at the meeting.