Every year about one million Bangladeshis travel abroad for treatment, 53% of them for diagnosis. Around Tk50,000 crore is spent overseas per annum. Bangladesh now ranks 10th globally for outbound medical travel.

In this situation, the proposed Bashundhara Medical City is being framed as a “blessing”. Planned inside Bashundhara Smart City, it aims to deliver high-tech, comprehensive healthcare to reduce the need for treatment abroad, especially for Dhaka and its surrounding districts.

S Rahman Properties conceived the project to meet demand for advanced care within Bashundhara Smart City. It will serve residents of Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Uttara, Narayanganj and Gazipur.

The medical city will include a large diagnostic and consultation centre, a general hospital, several specialised hospitals and a research unit for complex diseases. It will also host the country’s biggest hub for medicine and medical accessories, including a wholesale market.

SM Sahidur Rahman, chairman of S Rahman Group, told the Daily Sun, “A large number of abroad-going patients in our country go abroad only for  proper diagnosis. From that point of view, we will establish such kind of international diagnosis laboratory in the city which will be more modern and equipped than the icddr,b laboratory.”

The complex will feature a wholesale market for medical equipment, surgical accessories and medicines, nearly 100 doctors’ chambers, and a large consultation centre. It will house general and specialised hospitals, clinics and an emergency department designed as a fully integrated “smart hospital”.

“Its uniqueness lies in the fact that all health services will be available within the same compound, meaning a patient can receive comprehensive care without leaving the premises. All diagnostic services and medical treatments will meet international standards,” Sahidur Rahman said.

The project is being built under a share-based joint ownership model on 120 kathas of land, with scope for expansion. S Rahman Properties says investor response, both local and international, has been strong.

“Since our projects are implemented through a shareholding model, we have rarely needed advertisements. Investors’ response has been very encouraging … for a service-based mega project like this, we felt the need for some limited advertising to raise awareness,” the chairman said.

With over 150 wholesale medicine shops, about 100 doctor chambers, a 90,000sqft diagnostic centre, a 45,000sqft consultation centre and an eight-storey general and specialised hospital complex, the project is expected to create significant employment. Supporting businesses are also expected to grow around it.

Healthcare

The medical city will introduce telemedicine facilities with local and foreign doctors, a research centre and a digital doctor database. Each patient will have a digital health record linked to a phone number – storing test reports, prescriptions and medical history.

According to the developers, the medical city is being built on the principle that healthcare is a basic right. It will serve both general patients at affordable rates and premium patients through specialised wings, with specific provisions for low- and middle-income groups. The entry of foreign doctors, advanced treatments and teleconsultations are expected to draw international patients as well.

The complex, built on six bighas in Bashundhara ‘N’ Block with full support from Bashundhara Group, is located beside a natural lake. The site will feature an over-bridge across the lake and an iconic structure shaped like a ship.

Sahidur Rahman said the Bashundhara Medical City “is being built with a focus on service rather than profit”, with the goal of ensuring modern healthcare for all in Bangladesh.

The reporter can be reached at [email protected]