Bangladesh plans 101-bed hospitals across upazilas within five years

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said Sunday that his government plans to expand upazila-level hospitals from 50 beds to 101 beds within the next five years, part of an effort to improve access to health care outside major cities.

“To ensure that people in every Upazila receive good healthcare, we will upgrade these 50-bed hospitals to 101-bed hospitals within the next five years, Inshallah,” Rahman said.

He said the government intends to carry out the expansion across all 503 upazilas cited in his remarks.

The pledge comes as Bangladesh faces persistent demand for treatment abroad. Hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis have traditionally traveled to India for medical care, but Indian visa restrictions following the 2024 political upheaval sharply reduced access and helped push some patients toward China.