ECNEC okays nine projects: Specialized treatment centre to be established at BSMMU

The main objectives of the project is to establish a 'center based health care delivery system' through modernization of medical care and management, improve the rendering of specialized health care services as well as reduce the dependence on foreign countries ensuring Medicare for critical diseases in the country, introducing evidence based medicine through clinical research and thus build an effective reference linkage for improving the standards of health care services.

Under the project, a 13-storey hospital building would be built at the BSMMU having two basements alongside procuring modern medical equipment and furniture for the hospital.

To this end, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved the "Super Specialized Hospital of BSMMU" project with Taka 1,366 crore. The approval came from the 19th ECNEC meeting of the current fiscal held at the NEC conference room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, after the meeting, briefed the newsmen about its outcome. He said the ECNEC today cleared a total of nine projects with an outlay of Taka 4,858 crore. "Of the total project cost, the government will provide Taka 2,477 crore from the national exchequer while the organization concerned will contribute Taka 173.93 crore from its own fund and the remaining Taka 2,207 crore would come from project assistance," he added.

Of the approved nine projects, seven are new while two are revised projects.

BSMMU will implement the project by December 2019 where Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) will provide Taka 1,047 crore as project assistance at 0.01 percent interest rate with a grace period of 15 years to be repaid in 40 years.

Under the project, the Planning Minister said, emergency medical care center would be established at the BSMMU specialized hospital apart from setting up gastro enterology and hepatobiliary center, child and mother health care center, cardio and cerebro vascular center, kidney diseases center, ICU and central diagnostic and pathology department.

The Planning Minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the meeting had directed the authorities concerned for incorporating two underpasses from BSMMU to BIRDEM hospital and another from BSMMU to National Museum in city's Shahbagh area under the project for smooth movement of the patients.

Considering the deficiency of nurses across the country, he said, separate college would be set up in future on nursing after assessing the demand while further improved health care services would be provided to common people in future at much more affordable cost.

The other projects approved in the meeting are Establishment of a Medical College in Tangail and upgrading the 250-bed general hospital to 500-bed with Tk 635.10 crore, Controlling of evaporation at the Titas Gas Field and evaluation and development of this field, 1st revised, with Tk 909.30 crore, Important rural infrastructure development in Gopalganj district with Tk 614.84 crore, Boosting fisheries production improving the water bodies with Tk 254.04 crore, protection of buildings at Urban areas with Tk 571.72 crore, National Sanitation (3rd phase) with Tk 149.96 crore, Faridpur (Badarpur)-Saltha-Sonapur-Muksudpur road development with Tk 107.48 crore and Kazi Nazrul Islam University Development (2nd revised) project with Tk 249.99 crore.

Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting while Planning Commission members and Secretaries concerned were present.