‘BMU hospital to be fully operational within 6 months’

The Super Specialised Hospital under Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) will become fully operational within the next six months, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Sakhawat Husain said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters after a microscope and laboratory equipment handover ceremony at the Department of Pathology of Dhaka Medical College, the minister said the hospital will remain fully government-owned but will be managed under a modern corporate structure.

Responding to a question on whether the hospital would operate like a private healthcare facility, he said a company would be formed to manage the hospital, although it would function on a non-profit basis.
“It will remain a government hospital, but its management will be modern and corporate in nature,” he said.

The minister said the hospital would adopt a one-stop emergency service model similar to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Thailand’s Bumrungrad International Hospital.

“We have already constructed the building and installed the necessary equipment. It will be a high-standard hospital,” he said, adding that the government would fix treatment charges to ensure ordinary people receive world-class healthcare at affordable rates.

He also said the hospital could engage both local and foreign specialists if necessary.
“I hope the hospital will be fully operational within the next six months,” he added.

On the dengue situation, the minister said hospitals have been instructed not to discharge dengue patients until they have fully recovered, even if their fever has subsided.

He warned that plasma leakage remains a major cause of death among dengue patients. A panel of specialist physicians has prepared a daily treatment protocol, which is being published on the ministry’s website and shared directly with doctors via mobile phones.

The minister said the government has been conducting nationwide cleanliness drives for the past two months as part of dengue prevention efforts. Doctors have also received specialised training to strengthen patient management.

He also announced plans to introduce new technology to destroy Aedes mosquito larvae, including the procurement of special tablets that can be used in stagnant water collected in discarded coconut shells, used tyres, and other small containers.

According to the minister, the tablets will rapidly eliminate mosquito larvae and help curb the spread of dengue.

He added that the government is prepared to take all necessary measures if dengue cases continue to rise, including deploying mobile hospitals to ensure uninterrupted treatment services for patients.