Five Saudi-Funded Floating Hospitals to Provide Healthcare to Remote Areas of Bangladesh
Date
3/14/2023 9:09:51 AM
(MENAFN) Saudi Arabia is funding the construction of five floating hospitals in Bangladesh to provide healthcare to tens of thousands of patients in remote areas. The first two vessels are expected to launch shortly after Ramadan, with the remaining three to follow. Bangladesh is frequently affected by devastating storms and floods, leaving many regions accessible only by river. These rural areas often lack medical facilities, making the hospital ships an essential resource for impoverished communities.
The floating hospitals, all named after King Abdullah, are being funded by the Islamic Development Bank and will traverse the waterways of Bangladesh to provide healthcare. Under a 2017 agreement between the bank and the Bangladeshi Directorate General of Health Services, the vessels will initially be operated by Friendship, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that has been running hospital ships in Bangladesh for over two decades. After five years, the ships will be handed over to health authorities.
Dr. Sheikh Daud Adnan, head of hospitals at the health directorate, explained that the project is a tripartite effort. The cost of building the ships and the first five years of operation is approximately $20 million. Two of the vessels are already complete and ready to sail, with registration pending from Bangladeshi authorities, which Friendship expects to be finalized soon after Ramadan.
This initiative is a crucial step in addressing the lack of healthcare in remote areas of Bangladesh. The floating hospitals will provide essential medical services to communities that have previously been out of reach. The project will run for five years, after which the ships will be handed over to the directorate, ensuring a sustainable healthcare solution for years to come.
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