Online Desk: Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Tuesday said under the joint guidance of two countries’ leaderships, Bangladesh and China would definitely pool together efforts and fight side by side to win the war against the dengue epidemic, thereby protect the lives and health of the two peoples.

“A team of leading medical experts from China came to Bangladesh to introduce the latest clinical technology and know-how and successfully performed surgery on four patients with congenital heart disease,” he said.

The Ambassador made the remarks at a Chinese anti-dengue emergency supply handover ceremony.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque, Health Secretary Md. Jahangir Alam and Director General of DGHS Prof. Dr. Abul Bashar Mohammed Khurshid Alam, among others, were present.

The Ambassador congratulated once again to Dr. Saima Wazed for being nominated as the next WHO Regional Director for Southeast Asia, which is another contribution made by Bangladesh to safeguarding health of the entire humanity.

“Her nomination also opens new channels and scopes for enhancing cooperation between China and Bangladesh in health sector,” said the envoy.

This year by far, Bangladesh has suffered the severest dengue epidemic in history, which has infected millions of people and caused the loss of more than 1,400 lives.

“The epidemic is still going on and the situation remains challenging,” said the Ambassador, adding that the Chinese government and people are deeply affected by the sufferings of the Bangladeshi people.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, when meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Johannesburg, South Africa late this August, announced in person that China would provide to Bangladesh 25 million RMB anti-dengue assistance.

Since then, relevant authorities of the two governments have kept in close communication and cooperated in an efficient manner to ensure the early arrival and timely deployment of the anti-dengue emergency supplies from China.

“The handover ceremony today is not only implementation of the consensus reached between the two leaders, but also another manifestation that China and Bangladesh are genuine friends who share weal and woe and close neighbors who always help each other,” said Ambassador Yao.

In recent years, he said, the strategic partnership of cooperation between Bangladesh and China has gone even deeper and more profound.

“China has become an important partner of Bangladesh in terms of economic development and beyond. The foundation of China-Bangladesh relations lies in the people,’ he said.

Through increasingly frequent exchanges between all sectors at all levels, the long established friendship between the two peoples have been consolidated continuously, said the Chinese envoy.

“Among others, health cooperation plays a key role,’ he mentioned.

Over the past three years, China and Bangladesh have joined hands to fight the COVID-19 epidemic.

“At the beginning of this year, we signed the Implementation Agreement of China-Aid Project of Burn Unit of Chittagong Medical College Hospital in Bangladesh,” said Ambassador Yao.

“Not long ago, the Chinese Embassy made a swift response to the dengue surge and donated a batch of dengue kits to Enam Medical College Hospital,” he added.

Last week, the cardiovascular disease digital infrastructure pilot site donated by the Chinese Embassy was officially launched at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

“In future, China will continue to enhance the cooperation with Bangladesh in the health field and bring more tangible benefits to the people of the two countries,” said Ambassador Yao.