Bangladesh needs to make medical device locally to cut import dependence: Health minister
Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain says local production of medical devices could save foreign currency, create jobs and position Bangladesh as a regional hub for health technology.
Highlights:
- Health minister calls for local production of medical devices.
- Bangladesh spends thousands of crores annually importing even basic medical equipment.
- Government pledges support for local innovators and health technology entrepreneurs.
- Minister urges hospitals not to discharge dengue patients before full recovery.
Bangladesh spends thousands of crores of taka every year importing even basic medical devices that could be manufactured locally, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said today (5 July).
Speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of the two-day International Conference on Appropriate Technology for Healthcare in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (ICATH-LMIC 2026) at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of the University of Dhaka, the minister said developing domestic manufacturing capacity would reduce import dependence, save foreign currency and generate employment.
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"The government will provide all possible support to local innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs so that a strong medical device industry can be established in Bangladesh," he said, adding that the country has the potential to become a regional hub for health technology innovation.
The conference aims to promote affordable, appropriate and sustainable healthcare technologies for low- and middle-income countries while addressing global inequalities in access to medical technology.
The minister said access to quality healthcare remains limited in many remote areas and stressed that the government is working to improve the situation.
"To achieve this goal, the allocation for the health sector has been doubled in the national budget," he said.
Referring to the ongoing dengue outbreak, Sakhawat said some hospitals are under severe pressure, with as many as 30 to 40 dengue patients being accommodated in a single room, according to BSS.
Highlighting local innovation, he praised the University of Dhaka's telemedicine programme, which incorporates technologies such as online 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECG) and electronic stethoscopes.
He said integrating such technologies into the government's rural healthcare programme could significantly improve healthcare services in remote areas.
The minister also urged doctors and nurses responding to the dengue and measles outbreaks to continue performing their duties with patience and professionalism.
He said strengthening Bangladesh's diagnostic system through the effective use of advanced technology remains one of the government's priorities.
Sakhawat added that hospitals have been instructed not to discharge dengue patients until they have fully recovered.
