A five-day international training titled ‘Chemical Incident Preparedness for Hospitals (HOSPREP)’ began in the capital on Sunday.
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (BNACWC) jointly organised the programme.
Major General Quazi Md Rashid-Un-Nabi, Director General of the Directorate General of Medical Service (DGMS), Dhaka Cantonment, attended the opening session as the chief guest, said an ISPR press release.
A total of 18 participants from 10 countries including Bangladesh and six instructors from both OPCW and Bangladesh are taking part in the programme.
Senior officials from the armed forces were also present at the inauguration.
The training aims to initiate a nationwide comprehensive capacity-building effort in hospitals to effectively handle chemical incident victims.
It focuses on hospital emergency planning, decontamination procedures for chemical victims, clinical management and preventing secondary contamination of healthcare personnel.
Subject-matter experts from home and abroad, including OPCW instructors and specialist physicians from various medical institutions in Bangladesh, are conducting the training.