Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid from Kunming, China :
A six-year-old boy, Yamin, who has a hole in his small, pulsating heart, expressed his desire to run like other children his age, but he struggles to breathe due to his congenital heart defect.
Currently, he is receiving treatment at Fuwai Yunnan Cardiovascular Hospital, located in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, just a 40-minute drive (36 km) from Kunming Airport.
His father, Md Ripon, a poor man from Pabna, said, “I have visited various hospitals in Bangladesh with my ailing son, but I couldn’t get him treated. I had lost all hope of his recovery because I can’t afford the treatment.”
“The Chinese government has now supported us and brought us here. I hope we will receive treatment so that Yamin can run again,” he sobbed.
“I want to go home and run with my friends,” Yamin said.
Like Ripon, Selina Akhtar from Kishoreganj and her 10-year-old son Sajid, as well as Suchanda Das from the same area and her 18-month-old son Partha Das, were also admitted to the same hospital on Monday for similar conditions.
These three families, each with a similar story, are now waiting with hopeful eyes for the cure of their beloved children. They are part of the first group receiving cardiovascular treatment through a joint initiative between Bangladesh and China, aimed at providing affordable medical care to Bangladeshi patients.
As part of this initiative, the Chinese government has designated four of its top public hospitals: The First People’s Hospital of Yunnan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Fuwa Cardiovascular Hospital, and Yunnan Cancer Hospital, all located in Kunming.
Fuwai Yunnan Hospital, a national, triple-A, first-class hospital specialising in cardiovascular diseases, was jointly established by the People’s Government of Yunnan Province and Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, under the leadership of the National Health Commission.
It is also affiliated with the Red Cross Society of China and Kunming Medical University. The hospital, which opened in September 2017, specialises in treating complex and severe cardiovascular conditions, including heart valve disorders, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, congenital heart diseases, and cardiomyopathy.
According to the hospital’s sources, it performs nearly 4,000 cardiovascular surgeries annually and over 17,000 international cardiovascular procedures, with more than 90% of surgeries being high-precision and complex.
In a joint meeting between the authorities of Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital and the Bangladesh Embassy in China, both sides expressed their commitment to advancing this new chapter of cooperation.
They discussed several issues, including treatment costs, the inclusion of Bangladeshi doctors, employment opportunities for Bangladeshi students as bilingual translators to address language barriers, health insurance policies for Bangladeshi patients to reduce treatment costs, accommodation facilities, and ensuring halal food, among other matters.
“China wishes to stand with Bangladesh as a symbol of friendship. We have opened the door for Bangladeshi patients, and from now on, they can receive treatment here,” said Su Heng, Party Secretary and Executive Director of Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital.
In response to a question from this correspondent about health insurance coverage for Bangladeshi patients to reduce treatment costs, he happily stated that although they do not typically offer insurance for international patients, they would provide it for Bangladeshi patients.
“Bangladeshi patients can choose the insurance service for high-quality treatment, which is more cost-effective,” he added.
He also mentioned that they were ready to extend exchange cooperation with Bangladeshi doctors to help them enhance their skills.
The Ambassador of Bangladesh to China, Md Nazmul Islam, stated that he had visited two designated hospitals and expressed his satisfaction with the initiative.
“The cooperation between both countries has opened a new door for quality treatment at an affordable cost,” he said.
He also announced that a delegation, including doctors led by the governor, would visit from 19-21 April at the invitation of Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain. Seminars will be held in Dhaka, and connections will be established between hospitals in Dhaka and Kunming, fostering comprehensive cooperation between the two cities.
Regarding the timeframe for the treatment of the Bangladeshi children, hospital doctors indicated that while the procedure has begun, it is still too early to make any definitive comments as the treatment depends on various procedures. However, Dr Wang is optimistic about their recovery, citing past experience in handling such cardiovascular diseases.
