As India-Bangladesh relations go into deep freeze, patients from Bangladesh will soon turn to China for medical needs, according to reports. If things go as planned, the first group of Bangladeshi patients could receive treatment in China as early as March this year.
This could pose a challenge to hospitals in Kolkata, which used to receive around 10,000 Bangladeshi patients every month before the unrest in Dhaka which saw Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country. Post the regime change, many hospitals in Kolkata and Tripura recorded a revenue loss of around 10%-15% on average.
Three top hospitals in China's Yunnan province have been designated to receive patients from Bangladesh, according to Dhaka-based Prothom Alo. They include The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, and the Fuwai Yunnan Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.
Delegates from Dhaka are also in talks with Chinese counterparts to improve medical service mechanisms, including streamlining visa procedures. Steps are also afoot to establish translation teams.
It was Bangladesh which approached China regarding setting up a Bangladesh-China friendship hospital in Dhaka. Beijing has reportedly sought a detailed proposal from Bangladesh in this regard. China has also offered to supply specialised modern equipment for the treatment and rehabilitation of those injured in the July-August uprising.
Earlier, Bangladesh had complained that India was rejecting medical visas for patients. While around 1.2 lakh Bangladeshi patients visit India each year, post the uprising many began moving to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.
Also read: Bangladesh shunning India? Dhaka hunting for other sources to import potatoes, onions
Though India never formally responded to the accusations, the Indian visa centre in Bangladesh, on its website, said last month that it was only offering limited appointment slots for Bangladesh nationals requiring urgent medical and student visas. The daily online visa slots across five Indian visa centres in Bangladesh, including Dhaka, dipped to around 500 from over 7,000 post July.
This isn't Bangladesh's first attempt to wean off dependence on India. Earlier, Dhaka was said to be looking at sources other than India to import potatoes and onions. India traditionally enjoys a strong trade surplus with its neighbour and the country is a major market for India’s textile and agricultural exports.
