Photo: PID

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.