Importance of increasing Bangladesh-Malaysia cooperation in health sector

On Tuesday morning, during the meeting between the minister and the Malaysian High Commissioner at the health minister's office in the Secretariat, discussions were held on various health-sector issues of the two countries.

In the meeting, the Malaysian High Commissioner said that Malaysia has made significant progress in the medical field recently. He said that earlier many Cambodian patients used to go to Thailand for treatment. At present, a large part of them are going to Malaysia for treatment.

He commented that Malaysia can also be a promising destination for treatment for Bangladeshi patients. The High Commissioner also said that interested Bangladeshi patients can receive necessary assistance in receiving treatment through the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MSTC).

Praising the progress of Malaysia's medical system, Health Minister Sakhawat Hossain said Bangladesh has also achieved significant progress in various areas of the health sector. There are more opportunities for cooperation in healthcare and medical education between the two countries.

He proposed arranging training for Bangladeshi specialist doctors in Malaysia on complex treatments including kidney transplant, liver transplant and bone marrow transplant.

The Health Minister said the two countries can work jointly in various areas of health services. To institutionalize such cooperation, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) can be signed between Bangladesh and Malaysia if necessary.

Assurance of cooperation for Malaysian students in Bangladesh

In the meeting, the Malaysian High Commissioner informed that Malaysian students are currently studying MBBS, MDS and various other subjects at different educational institutions in Bangladesh. There are also Malaysian students at Bangladesh Agricultural University.

The Health Minister assured the Malaysian students of necessary cooperation. He said necessary assistance would be provided to Malaysian students studying in Bangladesh.

The High Commissioner further informed that information about treatment costs and medicine prices in Malaysia is usually published on a designated board. He noted that the cost of treatment in Malaysia is also comparatively lower than in several other countries.

In response, the Health Minister said that if quality healthcare services can be ensured, Bangladeshi people will be interested in going to Malaysia for treatment. He also said that many of his acquaintances have already received treatment in Malaysia.

At one point in the meeting, the Malaysian High Commissioner invited the Health Minister to visit Malaysia. The minister expressed interest in visiting Malaysia at a convenient time.

During the meeting, officials of the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka, representatives of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MSTC), their Bangladeshi partners, and senior officials of the Ministry of Health were present.