Bangladesh-India partnership set to boost medical tourism
Patients will benefit from coordinated travel support
BSS, Dhaka
Published: 23 Apr 2026, 05:57 PM
Photo: BSS
Bangladesh’s Rhythm Group and India’s Manipal Hospitals on Thursday signed an agreement to streamline medical tourism, ensuring Bangladeshi patients’ easier access to advanced healthcare services in India.
The agreement was signed at a ceremony held at a
city hotel, attended by Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Kumar
Verma as chief guest.
Rhythm Group Managing Director Shohag Hossain and
Manipal Health Enterprises Group Consultant Jithu Jose signed the deal on
behalf of their respective organisations, while Rhythm Group Deputy Managing
Director Abhir Hossain was present.
Speaking on the occasion, Verma said the agreement
reflected the deepening people-centric partnership between Bangladesh and India
and would further strengthen bilateral cooperation in healthcare and
connectivity.
He said such initiatives would facilitate access to
quality and affordable healthcare services for Bangladeshi citizens and
welcomed greater private sector collaboration between the two neighbouring
countries.
Group COO of Manipal Health Enterprises Karthik
Rajagopal said the partnership would help Bangladeshi patients gain hassle-free
access to patient-centric, world-class healthcare services.
On behalf of Rhythm Group, Abhir Hossain said the
collaboration would bring major relief to Bangladeshi patients by ensuring
reliable guidance, smoother travel arrangements and easier access to advanced
treatment facilities in India.
Under the partnership, Bangladeshi patients will
receive end-to-end support for treatment in India, including medical
consultations, hospital selection and travel arrangements.
The initiative combines Rhythm Group’s expertise in
travel, aviation and logistics with Manipal Hospitals’ clinical network of 49
hospitals, more than 12,600 beds and over 11,000 doctors.
Services will also include facilitation of second
medical opinions, review of medical reports and tailored guidance to ensure
suitable treatment options.
Patients will benefit from coordinated travel
support, including accommodation arrangements and special airfare facilities
through airline partnerships.
Both sides also announced plans to introduce a
digital video consultation platform, enabling Bangladeshi patients to consult
specialist doctors remotely before travelling.
In the long term, the two organisations aim to
establish a multidisciplinary hospital in Bangladesh through a joint venture to
strengthen local healthcare capacity.
