DHAKA, Jan 25, 2026 (BSS) - The government today approved a major healthcare  infrastructure project worth Taka 2,459.34 crore to establish a 1,000-bed  Bangladesh-China Friendship General Hospital in Nilphamari. The project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Executive  Committee (ECNEC) aimed at ensuring modern and specialised medical services  for people in the northern region of the country and thus easing pressure on  hospitals in Dhaka and Rangpur.  The project, titled "Establishment of a 1,000-bed Bangladesh-China Friendship  General Hospital", has an estimated cost of Taka 2,459.34 crore. Of the total amount, Taka 179.27 crore will come from the government's own  resources, while Taka 2,280.07 crore will be financed through external  sources, primarily with financial and technical assistance from the Chinese  government. The project will be implemented from January 2026 to December 2029 in  Nilphamari sadar upazila under Rangpur division. Talking to BSS, Planning Commission officials said the objective of the  project is to establish a modern, specialised 1,000-bed general hospital to  ensure quality healthcare for the people of northern Bangladesh. The hospital will provide integrated general and specialised services,  including nephrology, cardiology, oncology and neurology, enabling effective  treatment of complex and long-term diseases. Briefing reporters after the day's ECNEC meeting, Planning Adviser Dr  Wahiduddin Mahmud said the Bangladesh-China Friendship Hospital in Nilphamari  is a strategic and timely initiative. He said the proposal emerged from discussions at the highest level during the  Chief Adviser's visit to China, where the Chinese side expressed interest in  supporting the construction of a highly modern hospital in Bangladesh. Dr Mahmud clarified that the decision to establish the hospital in Nilphamari  was taken by Bangladesh, not China, as part of a broader plan to gradually  decentralise major national facilities from Dhaka. "If we want real decentralisation, large and advanced institutions-whether  universities, hospitals or technology institutes-must be established outside  Dhaka," he added. He noted that Nilphamari's location in the Rangpur region, traditionally  affected by poverty and seasonal hardship, made it a strategic choice. The presence of Syedpur Airport nearby is also expected to enhance  accessibility. Given the planned standard of the hospital, he expressed hope  that patients from neighbouring countries may also seek treatment there, as  no similar facility of this level exists in the surrounding region.  Dr Mahmud added that while the project has been approved to facilitate the  signing of a formal agreement with China, the final cost structure may be  adjusted once the exact amount and nature of Chinese assistance are  finalised. The project also aims to reduce excessive patient pressure on hospitals in  Rangpur and Dhaka through decentralisation of healthcare services, while  ensuring timely and life-saving treatment through modern emergency  facilities, ICU, CCU and HDU units, advanced diagnostic services and state- of-the-art operation theatres. In addition, the hospital will contribute to medical research, training and  human resource development, strengthening the overall capacity of the  country's health sector. Modern technology, hospital automation, electronic health records (EHR) and  digital health systems will be introduced to improve efficiency and patient  care. The initiative is also expected to reduce patients' treatment costs and  travel-related hardship by ensuring equitable access to advanced healthcare  services closer to home. The main components of the project include a 10-storey main hospital building  with a semi-basement covering approximately 993,691 square feet; a 10-storey  professors' and senior doctors' quarters with semi-basement (96,800 square  feet); a 10-storey doctors' dormitory with studio apartments (65,000 square  feet); a two-storey duplex building for directors; two six-storey nurses'  dormitory buildings; two 10-storey residential buildings for second-and  third-class employees; a two-storey mosque; a one-storey hospital kitchen; a  waste management plant; a five-storey service building; a hospital gas  manifold and Vacuum Insulated Evaporator (VIE) tank facility; a helipad and  automated ambulance system; and a two-storey generator and substation  building. Explaining the background of the project, officials said Nilphamari district  has a population of around 2.1 million, most of whom live in rural and semi- urban areas. Currently, healthcare services in the district mainly depend on the 250-bed  Nilphamari General Hospital and primary healthcare facilities at the upazila  level. These facilities lack sufficient ICU, HDU, dialysis services, comprehensive  cancer units, neuro-emergency care, cardiac care, burn and plastic surgery  services, as well as specialised maternal and neonatal care. As a result, critically ill patients are frequently referred to Rangpur  Medical College and Hospital or Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, causing  delays, higher costs and increased risks. Officials believe the hospital will emerge as a sustainable tertiary-level  healthcare institution, significantly reducing regional disparities in  healthcare access and ensuring timely, quality and life-saving medical  services for millions of people in northern Bangladesh.