United News of Bangladesh

The Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs on Tuesday approved in principle the withdrawal of 250-bed ‘New Modern Medical College & Hospital on the unused land in Khulna’ from the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project list. The decision was taken at the committee’s meeting held at the Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. Cabinet Division officials said the Ministry of Railways submitted the proposal. The project, originally planned to be implemented by Bangladesh Railway aimed to address the shortage of modern medical education and healthcare facilities in south-western Bangladesh. Located in Khulna, the country’s third-largest economic hub, it had an estimated capital cost of US$80–100 million and received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on August 14, 2013. Economic Affairs Committee okays import of crude oil The original plan included a medical college with 50 seats and a 250-bed modern hospital with a projected implementation period of 2013–2017.