Malaysia’s expertise in the healthcare sector is being tapped by the Bangladeshi government via the newly launched Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital and Nursing College.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said through the joint undertaking with KPJ Healthcare Bhd, the hospital would have a qualified and experienced team of hospital managers in place, comprising the chief executive officer, chief finance officer and chief nursing officer.
“KPJ will also bring in specialists, nurses and other key personnel to serve at the hospital alongside local professionals.
“The hospital will offer first-class healthcare, providing Bangladeshis with greater access to international standards of treatment.
“It will support national efforts to provide a safety net for the people, especially the poor and the disabled, and help improve maternal and child healthcare,” Najib said at the launch of the RM90 million 250-bed hospital and 50-seat nursing college, an initiative of the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust.
Present were Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, Hasina’s sister, Sheikh Rehana, who is also the vice-president of the memorial trust, and KPJ healthcare president and managing director Amiruddin Abdul Satar.
Najib expressed hope that the hospital would help improve Bangladesh’s healthcare industry.
“I have been told by Sheikh Hasina that 30 per cent of patients at the hospital will be from the poor category, who will be treated at a special rate.”
The prime minister said the collaboration between Malaysia and Bangladesh in the hospital project was a testimony of what could be achieved when two nations worked together.
“I hope the hospital will not only improve the healthcare sector in Bangladesh, but also develop into a regional champion.”
Najib said he was confident that KPJ Healthcare with its 33-year track record in Malaysia, was capable in helping SheikhFazilatunnessaMujibMemorialKPJSpecialisedHospital to realise its goals and aspirations.
“I am happy to hear that KPJ’s medical consultants are acting as tutors to new specialists here. This hospital is in good hands.”
Hasina said the hospital would be a model for public-private partnership initiative in Bangladesh.
“This will not only ensure world- class medical service at an affordable cost but also create a healthy competition among the health service providers in our country.
“This hospital will help produce skilled physicians besides making available excellent healthcare in the country, thus discouraging our people from going abroad (to seek medical care) and saving foreign currency.”
Hasina said Bangladesh had formulated a modern healthcare policy to spur the progress in its health services sector.
Describing Malaysia as Bangladesh’s “great friend”, she urged more involvement from Malaysia in other sectors, including trade, investment and food processing.
“I am (also) hopeful that manpower export (from Bangladesh) will gain momentum through G-to-G (government-to-government) process,” said Hasina.
-New Straits Times
