China-backed hospital to boost healthcare in north

The government is set to build a 1,000-bed hospital in Nilphamari at a cost of Tk 2,459 crore, with most of the funds supposed to be coming from China, to improve access to modern healthcare in the northern region.

Officials said a project to establish the “Bangladesh China Friendship Hospital” is expected to be placed before the Ecnec meeting today.

The project, titled “Establishment of a 1,000-bed Bangladesh–China Friendship General Hospital to provide advanced medical services to the people of the northern region and neighbouring countries,” is scheduled to be implemented from January this year to December 2029.

Of the total cost, China is supposed to contribute Tk 2,280 crore as investment and grant, while the government will fund the remaining amount.

Once completed, the facility will be the first 1,000-bed hospital located at a district headquarters, as all existing hospitals of similar size are currently situated in divisional cities.

Apart from serving the northern region, the hospital will also provide treatment to patients from neighbouring countries, marking a significant development in Bangladesh’s medical sector, health officials said.

The main hospital building will be 10 stories high with a semi-basement. Two additional 10-story buildings will be constructed for doctors, along with a six-story building for nurses and two 10-story buildings for other staff. 

Separate structures will be built for a mosque, kitchen, waste management, and other services. The hospital will also include a helipad and an automated ambulance system, according to project documents.

After China expressed interest in investing in a large hospital in Bangladesh, the interim government decided to locate the facility in the northern region, which lacks advanced healthcare infrastructure. 

Currently, most patients from the area depend on Rangpur Medical College Hospital or facilities in Dhaka for advanced treatment.

Following demands from residents of several northern districts for a major medical facility, the health administration selected Nilphamari after conducting a study with a government organisation. 

A senior official of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), speaking anonymously, said China had initially proposed Dhaka as the site, but the interim government preferred to build the hospital outside the capital.

Nilphamari was eventually chosen partly due to the presence of a large number of Chinese nationals working at the Uttara Export Processing Zone in the district, he said. 

The hospital site has been selected at Itakhola Union, beside the Daroani Textile Mill, about five kilometres from the Nilphamari district headquarters, said district Civil Surgeon Abdur Razzaque yesterday. 

He said 25 acres of khas land have already been earmarked for the project due to the area’s strategic advantages.

The site is located around 25 kilometres from Syedpur Airport, the railway station, and the local BGB office, with the Uttara EPZ nearby.

The civil surgeon said although a medical college was established in Nilphamari in 2018, it does not have an attached hospital. As a result, residents depend on the existing 250-bed district hospital, which lacks key facilities, including an intensive care unit.

According to government documents, Nilphamari has a population of around 21 lakh and requires between 45,000 and 60,000 hospital beds under World Health Organization standards. 

However, the shortage of facilities forces residents to seek treatment in Rangpur or Dhaka, significantly increasing healthcare costs.

The documents also note a rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases in the northern region, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes.

The planned hospital will offer both general and specialised services, including ICU, CCU, and HDU facilities, along with modern diagnostic and surgical capabilities.