An explosion at a factory in Meghnaghat area of Narayanganj has left 11 workers critically injured. The blast occurred around 10:30 am on Sunday, said police. Ten of the injured were admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for treatment, said Shawn-bin-Rahman, a doctor at the hospital. Read: Vehicle, factory set afire amid RMG workers’ unrest in Savar, Gazipur According to the workers, they were engaged in aerosol production at unit one of the factory when the explosion took place. It was not clear what actually caused the blast.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s visit to Evercare Hospital scheduled for Monday evening for her routine health check-up has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. "Madam Khaleda Zia was scheduled to go to Evercare Hospital in the evening for health check-ups as advised by her medical board. However, the visit was postponed due to unavoidable reasons,” said her personal physician Prof AZM Zahid Hossain. Khaleda Zia Admitted to Evercare Hospital Earlier, on the night of September 12, Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital due to sudden fever. After receiving treatment for six days, she returned home as per the medical board’s decision. Khaleda, an 80-year-old former Prime Minister, has been struggling with various health issues, including liver-cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes as well as problems related to kidneys, lungs, heart and eyes.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will visit Evercare Hospital in Dhaka this (Monday) evening for a health check-up. "Madam [Khaleda] will be taken to Evercare Hospital in the evening for health check-ups as per the advice of her medical board," BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB. He said Khaleda will undergo some necessary medical tests at the hospital. On July 8, Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital six days after she had been discharged from the same hospital with various ailments. A group of specialist doctors, led by Prof Shahabuddin Talukder, successfully installed the pacemaker in Khaleda Zia’s chest on June 23. Khaleda has long been battling various ailments, including livercirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes and issues related to kidneys, lung, heart and eyes. Khaleda donates Tk 2 lakh for flood victims The BNP chief’s doctors have long been recommending sending her abroad since she was diagnosed with livercirrhosis in November 2021. On October 26 last year, three US specialist doctors completed the hepatic procedure known as the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS procedure) to stop water accretion in Khaleda Zia's stomach and chest, and bleeding in her liver. She was placed in Old Dhaka Central Jail on February 8, 2018, after a special court sentenced her to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. On October 30, 2018, the High Court raised her punishment to 10 years. Later, she was convicted in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case. Khaleda returns home from hospital Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail after 776 days through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she would stay in her Gulshan house and not leave the country. On August 6, Khaleda Zia was completely freed by an order of President Mohammed Shahabuddin. The President passed the order under Article 49 of the Bangladesh Constitution, according to a gazette issued by the home ministry on August 6. Article 49 states that "The President shall have power to grant pardons, reprieves, and respites and to remit, suspend, or commute any sentence passed by any court, tribunal, or other authority."

Four people were killed and some 10 others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck in Kalihati upazila of Tangail early Friday. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. Nannu Khan, Officer-in-Charge of Elenga highway police station, said the accident occurred around 2am on Dhaka-Tangail highway in front of the Elenga Link Road, leaving four bus passengers dead on the spot. Read: Private car-human hauler collision leaves 2 dead in Tangail The injured were rushed to Tangail General Hospital, with four reported to be in critical condition, he added. Read more: 3 dead following head-on collision between cattle laden truck and pvt car in Tangail

Indian hospital chain Apollo has collaborated with JMI Group to establish and operate the Apollo Clinic in Dhaka, ensuring access to world-class treatment for patients in the region. The license agreement for the partnership was signed between JMI Specialized Hospital Limited and Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited, according to a press release. The signing ceremony, held at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon on Tuesday, marked the official collaboration between Md Abdur Razzaq, Founding Managing Director and Chairman of JMI Specialized Hospital Limited, and Tarun Gulati, Head of Franchise Business at Apollo Health & Lifestyle Limited, it said. JMI Specialized Hospital, a subsidiary of JMI Group, has received the license to operate "Apollo Clinic" in Dhaka. The clinic will boast state-of-the-art technologies, featuring the country's leading physicians, clinicians, and management staff. With an expected annual capacity of serving more than one million patients, the Apollo Clinic in Dhaka is set to become a healthcare hub in Bangladesh. Chairman of JMI Group, M Jabed Iqbal Pathan, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, "This partnership with India's best hospital brand, Apollo, is a testament to our commitment to bringing qualitative changes to the healthcare sector in Bangladesh. Our goal is to offer world-class healthcare services within the country, eliminating the need for patients to seek treatment abroad." Founder and Managing Director of JMI Group, Md Abdur Razzaq, emphasized the focus on quality healthcare at a fair price. He announced plans to extend the services of the Apollo Clinic brand across the country, promoting accessibility to top-notch medical care. MTarun Gulati of Apollo Health Lifestyle Limited highlighted the strategic partnership, stating, "JMI is one of the best healthcare brands in Bangladesh, and we are excited to collaborate with them. We aim to ensure state-of-the-art diagnostic, consultation, and health check-up facilities, gradually expanding our business with JMI." Dr Tamjeed Alam, CEO of JMI Specialized Hospital, envisaged the collaboration as creating a healthcare ecosystem where excellence is ingrained. He stated, "Apollo Clinic, Dhaka, will become a beacon of hope and healing, offering world-class treatment within the country." The license agreement signing ceremony was moderated by Major (Retd.) Abdullah Al Faruqi, Deputy General Manager of Administration Department of JMI Group. Key personnel from both organizations and leading physicians were present at the event, marking a milestone in Bangladesh's healthcare landscape.

Despite the scheduled completion date having lapsed, the Khulna 100-bed full-fledged Cancer Hospital project is still far from completion, with only 21% of the work done over the past two years. According to the Public Works Department, the cancer hospital was supposed to be completed in June this year, now a proposal has been sent to the ministry to extend the project duration till December 2024 as the work has not been completed within the stipulated time. The Development Project Proforma (DPP) cost was Tk 175.72 crore and of these, Tk 82.36 crore was allocated for the construction of the 15-storey building with two basement floors. Under the government’s ‘Establishment of 100-bed Full-fledged Cancer Centre in Government Medical College Hospital in Divisional City’ project’, there will be three—cancer, kidney and heart—units at the hospital. "Free Cervical Cancer Screening to Prevent Cervical Cancer to Save Lives of At-Risk Population" Under the project, the 15-storey specialized hospital for treatment of cancer, kidney and heart patients will be established on 23250.46 square feet of land behind the outdoor department of Khulna Medical College and Hospital. The government signed an agreement with MBPL and SNBPL—two contractor firms on October 31, 2021. Cancer unit will be established from Bagement-2 to 6th floor with Linear Accelerator, CT Stimulator, Chemotherapy and Brachytherapy while Kidney unit will be established on the 7th floor to 11th floor with kidney dialysis unit, kidney transplant OT, post-transplant and ICU. Meanwhile, the heart unit will be set up on the 11th floor to 14th floor with CCU, ICU, Cardiac OT, and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Cath lab. Early detection of liver cancer now possible through a simple blood test Besides, a ramp, moving stairs, lift for Covid-19, Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP), 300-KVA power sub-station, 1000-KVA generator, lift, and firefighting system will be constructed under the project. Sheikh Daud Haider, owner of the contractor firm SN Builders Private Limited, said the construction work was delayed due to various complexities including land acquisition but the construction work of the project is now going on in full swing. Sheikh Golam Kuddus, project manager of the contractor firm, said the work of two basements has been completed and now the work will end speedily,” he said. Amit Kumar Biswas, executive engineer of Public Works Department-1, said “Already 21% work has been completed and currently the construction work of the building is going on in full swing.” 14-year-old wins award for developing soap to treat skin cancer In 2019, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved a project involving Tk 2,388.40 crore to set up a 100-bed full-fledged cancer centre in each government medical college hospital in every divisional city. The Ecnec cleared a total of eight projects with an estimated cost of Tk8,968.08 crore. Of the approved projects, five are new and the remaining three are revised ones. Then the project tenure was set from October 2019 to September 2022. Patients underserved as KMCH overwhelmed with bed shortage, inadequate manpower

Patients at Khulna Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) have been struggling to receive proper treatment due to overcrowding and manpower shortage. The authorities of KMCH have been scrambling to provide treatment due to bed shortage as the number of patients is three times higher than the capacity of the 500-bed hospital. Besides, physicians at the outdoor department of the hospital are also having a difficult time with 1500 patients on average every day seeking medical treatment. 3 KMCH doctors missing since Friday Deputy director of KMCH, Dr Niaz Mustafi Chwodhury, said a record number of patients are thronging at the hospital as the authorities have expanded healthcare services after opening new departments. “Though we are struggling a lot to provide medical services to the record number of patients, we are trying our best,” he said. Clash with medicine traders: KMCH students boycott classes During a recent visit to the hospital, this UNB correspondent found that the floors, veranda, and staircases near the entrance of the hospital building are overcrowded with patients. Many were receiving treatment, resting on mats on the floor, close to the bathroom and staircases due to shortage of beds. Jahangir Alam, who came to the hospital with his father from Rupsha upazila, said, “I brought my father with respiratory problems. He has been receiving treatment on the floor of the veranda for the past seven days. My father is suffering a lot due to the heat as there is no fan in the veranda.” The staff of the hospital are also responding slowly as they are unable to cope with the overwhelming number of patients. According to hospital sources, 81 posts under 31 wards of 16 departments at KMCH have remained vacant for a long period — forcing staff to deal with patients with inadequate manpower. KMCH intern doctors call for work abstention over clash between students and medicine traders

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was discharged from a city hospital on Monday around nine hours after being admitted there. Fakhrul returned to his Uttara residence as doctors at United Hospital discharged him at around 9:30pm after assessing his medical reports and health condition, BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB. He said the physicians advised the BNP secretary general to rest at home. Earlier in the day, the BNP secretary general was admitted to the hospital at about 12:30pm as he fell sick at the party chairperson's Gulshan office. Fakhrul was taken to the high dependency unit of the cardiology department of the hospital under Professor Muminuzzaman. Later, he underwent some medical tests and no major complication was detected. Fakhrul has been suffering from various health complications, including diabetes, hypertension and cardiac problems that worsened during his recent imprisonment. He returned home on Thursday from Singapore after receiving medical treatment there for a week. On February 10, Fakhrul and his wife went there for a follow-up checkup and treatment. The 76-year-old received treatment at Singapore National University Hospital. On December 9, a team of the Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up Fakhrul and party standing committee member Mirza Abbas from their homes in separate raids in the capital, a day before the party's much-talked about rally in the capital. He walked out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj on January 9 and received treatment at Evercare Hospital for two days before going to Singapore. In 2015, while incarcerated, Fakhrul was diagnosed with a block in the internal carotid artery of his neck. After his release, he went to Singapore for treatment. Since then, he needs to go to Singapore every year for follow-up treatment.    

Patients, most of them elderly, are lying on stretchers in hallways and taking oxygen while sitting in wheelchairs as COVID-19 surges in China’s capital Beijing. The Chuiyangliu hospital in the city’s east was packed with newly arrived patients on Thursday. By midmorning beds had run out, even as ambulances continued to bring those in need. Hard-pressed nurses and doctors rushed to take information and triage the most urgent cases. The surge in severely ill people needing hospital care follows China abandonment of its most severe pandemic restrictions last month after nearly three years of lockdowns, travels bans and school closures that weighed heavily on the economy and prompted street protests not seen since the late 1980s. It also comes as the the European Union on Wednesday “strongly encouraged” its member states to impose pre-departure COVID-19 testing of passengers from China. Over the past week, EU nations have reacted with a variety of restrictions toward travelers from China, disregarding an earlier commitment to act in unity. Italy — where the pandemic first exacted a heavy toll in Europe in early 2020 — was the first EU member to require coronavirus tests for airline passengers coming from China, but France and Spain quickly followed with their own measures. That followed the imposition by the U.S. of a requirement that all passengers from China show a negative test result obtained in the previous 48 hours before departure. China has warned of “countermeasures” if such policies were to be imposed across the bloc. Still, World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday he was concerned about the lack of outbreak data from the Chinese government. China has sought to get more of its elderly population vaccinated, but those efforts have been hampered by past scandals involving fake medications and previous warnings about adverse reactions to the vaccines among older people. China’s domestically developed vaccines are also considered less effective than the mRNA jabs used elsewhere.

Brazilian football great Pelé was hospitalized in Sao Paulo to regulate the medication in his fight against a colon tumour, his daughter said on Wednesday. Kely Nascimento added that there was “no emergency” concerning her 82-year-old father’s health. Nascimento, who lives in the United States, made the comments in an Instagram post after what she called “lots of alarm in the media today concerning my dad’s health.” ESPN Brasil reported earlier that the three-time World Cup champion was taken to Hospital Albert Einstein due to “general swelling.” “Really and truly, we appreciate the concern and love,” Nascimento said. Spokespeople for Pelé and Hospital Albert Einstein did not reply to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Pelé removed a tumour in September of 2021, with the hospital saying then that he would begin chemotherapy. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, globally known as Pelé, has used his social media channels since then to deny he was in poor health. His latest public comment was in an Instagram post on Oct. 23, his birthday.  “I just want to express my gratitude. Life is good. Turning 82 with my family, in good health, is the best gift. Thank you for everything I have received,” he said in a video. Pelé helped Brazil win the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups and remains the country’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 matches for the national team.