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Envoy: China to provide $3.5m in anti-dengue aid to Bangladesh
- Embassy hands over 700 dengue test kits to Savar hospital
- Ambassador calls China time-tested friend of Bangladesh
- More kits to be distributed to other hospitals, state minister says
Ariful Islam Sabbir
Publish : 11 Oct 2023, 02:48 PMUpdate : 11 Oct 2023, 03:15 PM
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Wednesday said President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government are deeply concerned by the dengue epidemic in Bangladesh and announced that China will provide 25 million RMB ($3.5 million) in anti-dengue aid to Bangladesh.
"Today, the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh is handing over 700 sets of dengue test kits to Enam Medical College and Hospital, which will meet the demand for tests of over 18,000 people," he said at the hospital in Savar.
This marks only a starting point, and there will be more anti-dengue aid on a larger scale coming from China in a few days, said the ambassador.
"With our joint effort in mitigating the current dengue surge, the bond of friendship between the two countries and peoples would be further enhanced," said Ambassador Yao.
As a time-tested friend and strategic partner of Bangladesh, the envoy said, China is committed to working with Bangladesh in addressing public health challenges, which was manifested by their joint fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
"This year by far, we have witnessed the severest dengue epidemic in Bangladesh’s history, causing grief to thousands of families while exerting unbearable pressure on the local hospital system," Ambassador Yao said.
He expressed his deepest sympathy for those who died of the disease and his sincerest condolences to their family members.
"I salute, with the highest respect, the doctors and medical workers who have fought sleeplessly on the front for months. You have saved the lives of many. Your hard work is highly appreciated," he said.
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman, who was present at the event, said: "President Xi Jinping assured our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of cooperation in the fight against dengue. These dengue test kits are being provided to Enam Medical College Hospital for the first time, with more distributions to follow at various hospitals."
Regarding distribution at the grassroots, he said: "We have a policy in place for distributing such aid to private hospitals. Whether it is free or with a fee will be determined later, as no decision has been made yet."
Chinese President Xi Jinping met Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in August.
President Xi emphasized that both China and Bangladesh are at a critical stage of their own development and revitalization, and the Chinese side stands ready to strengthen the synergy of development strategies with Bangladesh, push bilateral strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, and better benefit the people of the two countries.
