Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum announced on Sunday that China will finance the construction of a 1,000-bed hospital in Rangpur as a gift to Bangladesh, marking 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
She made the remarks during a press conference held at Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
At the event, she also presented a detailed overview of the medical situation of those injured during the mass uprising in July and August. According to the data gathered so far, 864 individuals were confirmed dead and over 14,000 were injured in the uprising.
"When we visited the hospitals after assuming responsibility, we encountered horrifying scenes—people missing eyes, limbs, and other body parts. Creating a database of the injured and deceased was a major challenge," she said. "Many admitted themselves under false names or used others' phone numbers, making verification difficult. We currently have 864 confirmed martyrs and over 14,000 injured, with more entries still under verification."
Discussing assistance for the victims, Nurjahan Begum explained that the government has focused on medical care for the injured and support for the families of those who died. "The Chief Adviser established the July Smriti Foundation, which has been assisting them. The government has also decided to provide Tk 30 lakh for each martyr through the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs. Additionally, those injured will receive health cards and be entitled to free treatment for life," she said.
Some cases required specialized care, prompting discussions with the Chief Adviser. "We saw cases that hospitals were hesitant to treat due to their complexity. The Chief Adviser directed that if needed, patients should be sent abroad. We established expert committees in hospitals to decide who should be referred outside the country. Initially, the lack of a formal health ministry policy created obstacles, but we acted without a policy, prioritizing lives first. So far, four patients have been flown out using air ambulances," she said.
She elaborated on the difficulties faced in arranging air ambulance services, as Bangladesh does not have any. "We had to bring them in from abroad, and payment issues arose due to the dollar crisis. To date, we have sent 40 patients abroad—26 to Bangkok, 13 to Singapore, and one to Russia. About 26 have returned, and the rest are still under treatment. Another eight are in line to be sent, with the list already forwarded to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs. We are also trying to send 21 patients to Turkey and 31 to Pakistan."
Nurjahan Begum urged the nation to stand by the injured, revealing that 700 individuals lost their eyesight, with 21 losing both eyes and around 450 losing one. "There is a lack of adequate mental trauma care in our country. These individuals are going through immense psychological suffering, and while we are trying to help, this is not the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Health—it is a collective responsibility."
Former Senior Secretary of the Health Services Division Muhammad Humayun Kabir explained that local district committees led by Deputy Commissioners and Civil Surgeons helped identify the injured and deceased. "We are still receiving applications, and verification is ongoing. It’s a massive task, and errors are possible, but we have tried our best to ensure genuine victims are included in the official lists. Wherever the injured are, we are trying to deliver services," he added.
Dr. Abul Khayer, Director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital, shared that during the height of the movement, the institute received an overwhelming number of patients. "Normally we treat 20 to 30 patients daily, but during the movement, the number surged to 80 to 100 per day. Between August 2 and 5, we treated nearly 700 patients—all of them victims of gunfire. We kept our operation theatres open around the clock and later collaborated with BSMMU and Islamia Hospital to handle the rush."
He added that foreign doctors later visited to assess the quality of treatment and found no faults in the care provided by the National Institute of Ophthalmology.
The press conference was also attended by Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, Health Services Division Secretary Md. Saidur Rahman, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Professor Dr. Md. Abu Zafar, Director of the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) Dr. Md. Abul Kenan, and Senior Assistant Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Fayez Ahmed.
