Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the exchange of Covid-related medicines and medical equipment between Bangladesh and India during the surge of the pandemic has been considered a role-model of ‘good neighbourhood’ diplomacy. “The whole world has seen how two neighbours support each other and work together during the time of crisis,” she said in a video message to the inaugural ceremony of the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) at Jamnagar in the Indian state of Gujrat. Also read: Expedite work on Sheikh Hasina Nakshipalli Jamalpur project: JS body She said that better outcome in ensuring basic healthcare for all is expected if the traditional medicine is practiced in tandem with the modern medicine. “I believe, if the traditional medicine is practiced in tandem with the modern medicine, we may expect better outcome in ensuring basic healthcare for all, as envisioned in the SDG goal 3,” she said. The prime minister also said that emergence of Covid-19 pandemic has showed the need to revisit our focus in ensuring good health and well-being of the people. She expressed confidence that the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine will emerge as a global hub for evidence-based research and standards for traditional medicine. She appreciated the Centre’s strategic focus on sustainability, equity and innovation. “It is important that the ancient knowledge-base of traditional medicine be combined with modern science and technologies to optimize its benefits,” she said. In Bangladesh,  Hasina said, traditional medicine has always been a part of its history and cultural tradition. "Our government integrated traditional medicine into our National Health Policy of 2011," she mentioned. “We have officially recognized the potential contribution of Unani, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic medical services to our efforts in achieving SDG-3,” she said. She said that there are 73 institutes in Bangladesh that offer four-year diploma courses and four colleges that provide Bachelor degrees in traditional medicines. In addition to offering outpatient services by traditional medicine experts, most of the district and sub-district level public health facilities are equipped with medicinal plant gardens, she added. She mentioned that Bangladesh is looking forward to partnering with the Global Centre on critical issues like quality control, curriculum development and regulatory standards. “We shall positively consider joint medical research projects in areas of our mutual interest," the PM said. She said that the efforts of the government of India, under the dynamic leadership Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic and achieving massive vaccination coverage are really commendable. She mentioned that Bangladesh has also successfully controlled the pandemic and the first dose of vaccine covered 100 per cent of the targeted population while second dose 97 per cent. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and WHO director-general Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus also spoke at the programme that held in Gujarat’s Jamnagar in India.  The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) is a knowledge centre for traditional medicine. As part of WHO’s overall traditional medicine strategy, it has a strategic focus on evidence and learning, data and analytics, sustainability and equity, and innovation and technology to optimize the contribution of traditional medicine to global health and sustainable development. Also read: Hasina on board with other leaders for Guterres-led crisis management group At the same time, respect for local heritages, resources and rights is a guiding principle. Now being established with the support of the Government of India, the Centre reflects the WHO Director-General’s leadership vision that harnessing the potential of traditional medicine would be a game changer for health when founded on evidence, innovation and sustainability. India is supporting the establishment of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat as a global good and in the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kudumbakam: the world is one family, according to the documents on the facility.

The High Court on Sunday ordered the health ministry to investigate the allegation over keeping 28 medical diagnostic equipment unused for long at 16 government hospitals. The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing a petition filed in the form of Public Interest Litigation.   Read: Private school, college, madrasa teachers can’t be suspended for above 6 months: HC The Health Services Division Secretary has been asked to execute the order and submit a report on it to the court.   The court also issued a rule seeking explanations as to why the negligence of the defendants for keeping those equipment unused for long should not be declared illegal. Twenty-one officials concerned, including the health secretary, the director general of DGHS, and the directors of 16 hospitals, have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.   On August 24, a report was published in a national daily saying 28 medical equipment remained unpacked at 16 government hospitals. Later, Manoj Kumar Bhowmik filed the writ petition with the High Court on August 26.   Read: HC orders verification of prisoners, accused through biometric systems In the report, 28 diagnostic devices including X-ray, ultrasonogram (USG) and ECG machines and ventilators are left packed in 16 government hospitals of the country. And some of those have already gone out of order while some more are about to get damaged. Thirteen X-ray machines, six ventilators, four ultrasonography machines, an ECG machines, a laparoscopy, a culture incubator, a hot air oven and an autoclave machine have been lying unpacked in various medical college hospitals, district hospitals and upazila health complexes.

An Indian Navy offshore patrol vessel, INS Savitri - arrived here on Thursday delivering two mobile oxygen plants (MOP), each with a capacity of generating 960 litres of oxygen per minute. While in Bangladesh, the ship’s company would be interacting with their Bangladesh counterparts; on its journey out, Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy ships will be engaging in passage exercise in the Bay of Bengal on Friday. This visit by INS Savitri is also the second port call by Indian Navy vessels to Bangladesh in 2021, when India and Bangladesh are jointly commemorating the Golden Jubilee of the 1971 Liberation War. Read: Another Oxygen Express on its way to Bangladesh from India Earlier in March 2021, two Indian Navy ships had made a historic maiden visit to Mongla to jointly celebrate Mujib Borsho. These MOPs were developed and manufactured by DRDO in India, and given to the government of Bangladesh to support to the natural effort to fight the Covid pandemic. One MOP is to be set up at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital and the other plant is for the Bangladesh Navy, to be set up at BNS Patenga, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. These fully equipped, state-of-the-art MOPs generate medical oxygen on-site in a highly cost-effective manner. In addition to direct installation at hospitals, they can also be used for refilling oxygen cylinders as well. The MOPs generate medical breathing standard oxygen using Zeolite (Molecular Sieve) technology with Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) principle for medical applications. Read: Cabinet body approves proposal for 30 oxygen plants INS Savitri is an offshore patrol vessel designed to patrol India’s vast Exclusive Economic Zone and has been built by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Vishakhapatnam. As part of the Eastern Fleet of India, INS Savitri, undertakes fleet support operations, coastal and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance and monitoring of the sea lanes of communication. The ship is commanded by Cdr N Roby Singh. Regular port calls by Bangladesh Navy and Indian Navy ships to each other’s countries is an ongoing activity and helps strengthen the spirit of fraternal friendship and close cooperation.

Global trade in medical goods saw 16.3% growth in 2020, compared to 4.7% in 2019 when the Covid-19 pandemic just started unfolding, according to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Exports of medical products – including medicines, medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) – rose more than 16%, underscoring how trade has been a lifeline for access to critical goods through the pandemic, after the initial disruptions. The share of medical goods in the world merchandise trade grew from 5.3% in 2019 to 6.6% in 2020. Trade in medical goods increased significantly in 2020, with trade in PPEs growing the most – more than 47.2%. Read: WTO to start Covid-19 vaccine supply negotiations amid clash on patents Medicine represented 52% of world trade in medical goods in 2020, according to World Trade Statistical Review 2021 issued by the WTO.

BNP on Wednesday sent medicines and medical equipment to Palestine ravaged by Israeli airstrikes. Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir handed over the medicines and equipment to Palestinian Ambassador in Dhaka Yousef SY Ramadan at his  embassy in the city’s Baridhara residence. Talking to reporters later, Fakhrul said over 200 people, including women and children, were killed and many others injured in Palestine and their houses, educational institutions and hospitals were destroyed by the unjustified airstrikes by Israel. Read: Removal of "except Israel" from passports exposed govt’s amoral position: BNP “We’ve been condemning the barbaric attacks for long.  We also sent a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas voicing deep concerns over the inhuman air attacks by Israel and expressed our solidarity with Palestinians,” he said. He said they are providing medicines and medical equipment to Palestine for the treatment of those injured in the Israeli attacks. “We’ve observed with great sadness that when the Palestinians were fighting for their motherland, our Home Ministry removed the words 'except for Israel' from our passport. We think it's not a good move at a time when the whole world was standing (beside Palestine) during their fight against Israel,” the BNP leader observed. He said the Palestinian envoy thanked BNP for its assistance for his country and wished speedy recovery of party chairperson Khaleda Zia. Yousef Ramadan said his country’s people will never forget the cooperation and support of the people of Bangladesh for Palestine.  Read:BNP slams govt over Israel issue Earlier on May 20, Mirza Fakhrul, on behalf of BNP, sent a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressing profound concerns over the recent violence and inhuman air attacks by Israel on innocent Palestinian civilians and devotees on the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Israel conducted more than 1,800 airstrikes on Gaza during the fight that began between Israel and Hamas on May 10. On May 21, Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire, halting a bruising 11-day war that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip, brought life in much of Israel to a standstill and left more than 200 people dead.  

More than 20 lac people live in nine upazilas of Faridpur district. The 517-bed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital (BSMMCH) located in the district headquarter acts as the major treatment hub for these people, as well as the people of some nearby districts. But Covid-19 patients are not getting proper services in the ICU unit of the hospital, due to shortage of necessary medical equipment and inadequate number of doctors, even though the authorities claim that they are giving their best efforts. The hospital is expected to have 24 doctors across two shifts for the 16-bed ICU unit but there are 9 doctors only. Besides, only ten out of 16 ICU beds have monitors running and ventilators work for eight, complained the hospital authority. Read 'Sadaqa can be Islamic response to pandemic' Juthika Biswas, a nurse at the ICU ward, said, "The most vulnerable coronavirus infected-patients are treated in this ward. It is hard to cope up with the small number of staff we have, we are still trying our level best.” The number of patients in Covid unit is increasing day by day. Due to the poor number of doctors and the lack of necessary equipment their treatment is being hampered. According to the Faridpur Civil Surgeon's Office, in the second wave of Covid-19 the total number of infected people in the district has been 9568 of which 137 patients have died. Read Birdem shuts ICU after detecting coronavirus patients Despite all the odds, the staff of BSMMCH corona ward have been serving the patients at the risk of their own lives. BSMMCH ICU ward in-charge Dr. Ananta Kumar Biswas, referring to various problems at the hospital, said the pressure of Covid-19 positive patients in the ICU ward is very high compared to the number of doctors. Where 24 doctors are needed, there are only 9. The situation is the same in other wards as well. "In this situation if we’re provided with doctors, high flow nasal canals, monitors and ventilators, we can deal with any situation," he claimed. Read DGHS urges holidaymakers to return to Dhaka after 14 days BSMMCH Director Dr. Saiful Islam said, "I have sent a letter to the ministry asking for more doctors and equipment for the large number of patients during this pandemic."

A team of Chinese medical experts, who have the firsthand experience of containing the virus and treating the patients with remarkable success, is scheduled to arrive here on Monday with a bunch of medical equipment.   The Chinese medical expert team has made full preparation and kept their eyes on the situation of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.   The team  members discussed and studied the appropriate measures and advice for Bangladeshi people, said the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday.   The experts said they have got well-prepared and expected to have more efficient communication and cooperation with their Bangladeshi medical peers in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.   The Chinese Embassy said it shows one of the reflections of Chinese President Xi Jinping's assurance to the reality.   The team is organized by the National Health Commission and consists of 10 respiratory physicians selected by the Hainan Provincial Health Commission, according to the officials at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka.    In their two weeks stay in Bangladesh, the experts will visit designated hospitals, quarantine centers, and testing centers, discuss on the epidemics with Bangladeshi counterparts, and make calibrated propositions for containment and treatment.     As Bangladesh’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic continued to become fiercer, Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, had a phone call conversation with Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, on May 20.   In that talks between the top leaders of the two friendly nations, President Xi reassured Prime Minister Hasina of standing side by side with Bangladesh as the truest friend in this all-out war against COVID-10.    Many cooperative measures have been taken by the Chinese side and most of which have already been implemented in Bangladesh since the outbreak here, according to Chinese Embassy in Dhaka. 

A team of Chinese medical experts, who have the firsthand experience of containing coronavirus and treating the patients with remarkable success, is scheduled to arrive here on June 8 with a bunch of medical equipment.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday handed over medical equipment to the government of Bangladesh to help strengthen its efforts to improve treatment facilities of Covid-19 patients and contain further spread of the virus in the country.

Medical equipment for detecting coronavirus reached the Microbiology Department of Faridpur Medical College Hospital (FMCH) on Friday.