Indo-Bangla Ties Role of Education, Healthcare in Bridging Social Infrastructural Gap
Kolkata : Both India and Bangladesh need to focus aggressively on building social capital, felt Dr Atiur Rahman, former Governor of Bangladesh Central Bank and Bangabandhu Chair Professor of Dhaka University.
Speaking at an interactive session at the Kolkata Press Club, organised by Infinity Group and Seven Rangers Healthcare and Seven Rangers Institute of Nursing, Dr Rahman said that India is the largest, and Bangladesh is the fastest growing economy in the region. Both have made significant progress in terms of social as well as economic indicators; and enhanced resilience of the respective economies. Challenges to overcome and opportunities to tame are somewhat similar for both countries. Hence, there is much to gain from effective collaboration between these two neighbors. The relationship between the two countries is already considered as the ‘Role Model for the Neighborhood Diplomacy’.
“Cooperation in social sectors is equally important for fruitful economic partnership. Collaboration in the education sector will empower the youth. Bangladesh’growth potential can induce increased Indo-Bangla trade,” he said and advocated that special quota for Bangladesh students in professional universities (like Indian Maritime University) and world-class technical institutes (like NIIT) with scholarships from the Indian Government, be offered.
Similarly, existing inter-dependence for healthcare needs to be further strengthened, Dr Rahman said, adding that medical tourism in India is increasing as the latest technologies and expert workforce are available here. Of the medical tourists in India, 22 percent are from Bangladesh.
India’s per capita (current health expenditure) CHE is 39 per cent of the South Asian average, and Bangladesh’s ratio is 24 per cent of the same. There is enormous scope to increase this level.
Effective collaboration between the two countries to enhance healthcare is most likely to contribute towards efficiently utilizing the resources allocated in the respective health budgets, he said.
Nirmalya Nag, Chairman, Infinity Group, Dr Manoj Pal, Director, Seven Rangers Healthcare, Swati Khondekar, MLA, Chanditala, Soumyabrata Das, Convenor, Bangla Worldwide and Snehashis Sur, President, Calcutta Press Club also spoke on the occasion.
Dr Pal said that the newly revived and modernised 110-bed hospital by Seven Rangers and the Seven Rangers Institute of Nursing aim at providing globally benchmarked, quality healthcare facilities at an affordable cost.
Snehashis Sur, President, Calcutta Press Club, said the opening of the Padma Setu has been a game changer for the historic relationship between the two countries. The two countries must take advantages of the current strong political and diplomatic relationship and other recent positive developments to move ahead and build a stronger sub-continent.