China and Bangladesh have strengthened medical cooperation through education and expert medical teams, training young talent and introducing advanced medical technologies to better serve patients in Bangladesh.
In southwest China's Yunnan Province, universities and hospitals are collaborating closely with Bangladeshi partners on talent cultivation and cross-border medical treatment.
Md Miftahul Mithu is now pursuing a PhD at Kunming Medical University in Yunnan. The young man from Bangladesh also completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in China.
"China is very well known for its rapid development and also in medical science, technology. And it has one of the best facilities, I believe, in the world. It allows students to expand their ability in medical science," said Mithu.
Mithu is now conducting research on spinal cord injuries, with a focus on breakthroughs in stem cell therapy. He hopes his work will help patients back home in Bangladesh.
"A majority of my country's people still depend on their physical strength to make their earnings. And work-related hazards as well as accidents might happen. It might damage their spine. What we are working on will help my country's patients to recover in a certain level to gain their physical strength," he said.
Mithu is one of many Bangladeshi students who have chosen to pursue medical studies in China. Since 2010, the Kunming Medical University has enrolled a total of 156 Bangladeshi students, with 31 currently on campus.
"Many graduates choose to return to their home country, serving local communities and contributing to local healthcare service and medical education development," said Liu Yajie, dean of the International Education School of Kunming Medical University.
Beyond education, medical collaboration between the two countries is expanding. In April, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University and Bangladesh Medical University established a joint surgical clinic to benefit more Bangladeshi patients.
Meanwhile, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University regularly provides short-term training programs for Bangladeshi medical professionals.
"Each year, we dispatch surgical experts, mainly in urology, gastroenterology, and spinal surgery, to Bangladesh, where they join local teams in outpatient visits and surgeries. This year, we will send three batches of medical teams to Bangladesh. The country is relatively weak in minimally invasive surgical techniques. We plan to introduce advanced medical technologies to Bangladesh to better serve local patients," said Li Wenliang, president of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University.
China, Bangladesh deepen collaboration in medical sector
