China vows medical support as Bangladeshi media visits Kunming

Chinese authorities in Yunnan Province have pledged to strengthen healthcare cooperation with Bangladesh, offering enhanced support for Bangladeshi patients seeking treatment in China.

The assurance came during a visit by a 23-member delegation of Bangladeshi journalists to First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University on Thursday.

The team, led by Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, is visiting China as part of the celebrations marking 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-China diplomatic ties.

During a two-hour interactive session, the delegation exchanged views with senior provincial health officials and hospital administrators, including Wang Jiankun, Deputy Director of Yunnan’s Health Commission; Zeng Zhing, President of the First Affiliated Hospital; Xie Hongbin, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Administration; and Han Rui, Director of the hospital’s International Medical Department.

“We are making every effort to support Bangladeshi patients visiting our hospitals,” said Wang Jiankun. “Our government and our embassy in Dhaka are in regular contact with the Bangladesh government to strengthen cooperation in the healthcare sector.”

The Chinese side responded to several concerns raised by the delegation regarding the challenges Bangladeshi patients face, including language barriers, attendant accommodation, billing transparency, use of Bangladeshi credit cards, travel costs, follow-up procedures and the high cost of repatriating deceased patients.

Wang acknowledged the issues and assured that measures were being taken to address them.

Delegation leader Azad Majumder urged Chinese authorities to allow more Bangladeshi students into their medical universities, noting that these graduates could help bridge the communication gap in hospitals and facilitate better care for Bangladeshi patients in China.

“We expect that with the continued support of Chinese authorities, more Bangladeshi patients will choose China for advanced medical treatment,” he added.

Officials of the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University revealed that 67 Bangladeshi patients received treatment there in the last six months, primarily for conditions like liver cirrhosis and breast cancer.

Later, during a banquet hosted by Kunming’s local foreign affairs office in honour of the visiting delegation, officials once again reiterated their commitment to providing all possible assistance to Bangladeshi medical travellers.

The media team is expected to visit several more healthcare facilities in Kunming on Friday as part of the ongoing tour.