Philippines seeks Bangladesh’s cooperation in pharmaceuticals sector  

Philippines Ambassador to Bangladesh Nina P Cainglet today (2 September) sought Bangladesh’s cooperation in pharmaceuticals sector, utilising the capabilities of Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry.

The envoy sought the cooperation when she paid a courtesy call on Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain at his office at the Secretariat.

Cainglet said Philippines imports around 67% of its total medicines from Western countries so that they sought cooperation from Bangladesh in the sector.

She emphasised the importance of launching direct flights between Dhaka and Manila to further strengthen trade and people-to-people relations between the two countries.

Various other issues were also discussed in the meeting, including the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries aimed at improving the quality of nursing education and enhancing capacity in the sector.

The health minister said the government is working tirelessly to improve the quality of healthcare services in the country to the level of developed countries by equipping hospitals with modern medical equipment.

Sakhawat said the government is working to reform the health system and bring healthcare services to the doorsteps of people at all levels across the country. 

To this end, various hospitals across the country are being visited to assess the actual situation of healthcare services, he said.