State Minister for Health Zahid Maleque Thursday called upon the global medical equipment suppliers to provide after-sales service for their products.
"You have tremendous business scope in the growing healthcare industry in Bangladesh and simultaneously have responsibility to provide quality spare parts and train people here to ensure after-sales service," Mr Maleque said.
His call came at the inauguration of a three-day "7th Meditex Bangladesh 2015 International Expo" with concurrent exhibition "Bangladesh Clinical Lab Expo 2015" at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the city.
Syed Monjurul Islam, secretary of the health and family welfare ministry, Aftab Ul Islam, president of American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham), and Dr. M. Iqbal Arslan, secretary general of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), were the special guests at the inaugural session, which was also addressed by Meherun N. Islam, president and group managing director of CEMS Global-USA and Asia Pacific.
Around 71 companies from 19 countries including Bangladesh are showcasing their medical and hospital equipments, surgical instruments, healthcare and latest technologies from about 100 booths at the exhibition.
CEMS-Global, conference and exhibition management services Ltd, and CEMS Bangladesh are organising the exhibition.
The expo brought global medical equipments manufacturers, their latest technological advancements and prices in closer contact with Bangladesh, facilitating development of the local health sector, the state minister said.
The health industry is growing fast in Bangladesh, he said, adding that there are also some challenges including shortage of manpower and quality equipments.
Introduction to the multiple options of the latest medical equipments will help the local users of those items and policy makers to choose better ones and develop the growing industry, Monjurul Islam said.
The health secretary also laid stress on ensuring the after-sales service of the medical items supplied by the international companies to Bangladesh.
"I urge you (global companies) to train the local people to support and ensure after-sales service of your products here," AmCham president said.
Country's health sector is already 'large' in size, the AmCham president said, adding that a significant amount of foreign exchange is going out the country as payments for treatment abroad by Bangladeshi patients.
Citing availability of quality doctors in Bangladesh, he urged the government to take measures to import sufficient quality medical equipments and thus ensure global-standard treatment locally and save the foreign currency.
Mr Iqbal Arslan also called upon local distributors of the international companies to ensure after-sales service of their products by training their people here and storing spare parts locally.
Ms. Islam said her company will work more in the coming days to create awareness among the stakeholders about importance of such exhibitions and quality medical equipments.
Later on the day, a medical and clinical lab equipment forum on "Recent Trends in Clinical Laboratories: Bangladesh Perspective" was jointly organised by CEMS Global and Bangladesh University of Health Sciences.
The expo will remain open for trade and public visitors from 10:30am t 7:30pm.
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