Thursday 15 November 2018

New hospital in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh to aid 140,000 Rohingya refugees

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 (Bernama) – A 100-bed capacity hospital opened in Cox’s Bazar district  Bangladesh to serve 140,000 Rohingya refugees based in Kutupalong camp.

The round-the-clock medical facility, built and managed by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) – Doctors without Borders – with the support of Sharjah-based international humanitarian organisation, The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) aims to treat 7,200 people for its first year.

According to a statement, Sheikh Sultan Ahmed Al Qasimi, humanitarian envoy of the foundation and chairman of Sharjah Media Corporation (SMC) inaugurated the hospital recently.

“The hospital mirrors solemn humanitarian bonds that connect the UAE community to the rest of the world,” he said.

The hospital project was supported by AED 3 million donation from SMC through its public fundraising initiative on healthcare projects. It will also offer much-needed relief to the long-suffering Rohingya, including pregnant women, infants and young children. (AED 100 = RM114.10)

The hospital is equipped with intensive care units, paediatric and maternity wards, as well as outpatient departments, including support services for sexual assault victims.

The facility also houses a water purification system that serves the area’s residents and is equipped with a hi-tech warning system to detect infectious diseases and respond to and control outbreaks.

More than a year into the crisis in Cox’s Bazar, the number of Rohingya refugees has reached nearly one million. The scale of influx into Cox’s Bazar district and the scarcity of resources has resulted in a critical humanitarian emergency, exceeding the coping capacity of the local communities and systems, the statement said.


-- BERNAMA

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