India's prominent Desun Hospital will build a unit in Bangladesh at costs around Tk 1,000 crore and for this, it is looking for land in Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna and Sylhet. The facility will be built in a city of four. Patients in Bangladesh will receive world-class healthcare at the hospital at low costs. A helipad has been installed at Desun Hospital in Kolkata where patients can be airlifted from Bangladesh in emergency cases.
Sajal Dutta, chairman and managing director of Desun Hospital, talked to Jago News on various topics, including investment in the medical sector of Bangladesh. Jago News's staff reporter Ismail Hossain Rasel interviewed him.
Jago News: You are going to invest a big amount of money in the health sector of Bangladesh. I want to know about your plan on building a hospital in Bangladesh.
Sajal Dutta: Desun Hospital has the largest number of beds in West Bengal which is more than 1,000. Of these, 750 beds are in Kolkata and 300 in Siliguri. For a long, a lot of patients from different parts of Bangladesh come to us for treatment. Then, we could learn that a number of patients from Bangladesh go to different places in India to receive treatment. So, our research team started working on what are the opportunities for investment in Bangladesh. Taking it into consideration, we decided we will invest Tk 1,000 crore in Bangladesh. It may not cover all patients here but a few people will not need to go abroad for treatment rather they will get it in Bangladesh.
Jago News: For which diseases you will give treatment at your hospital?
Sajal Dutta: I am saying from our experience and the research we conducted, we will focus on four major diseases. The first is cardiac and heart treatment that includes pacemaker, angioplasty and bypass. Then, cancer which we don't want and despite this, cancer patients are rising rapidly. We want to treat them well. There will be neuro and brain of spine disorders, and Gastroenterology.
Jago News: Most people in Bangladesh go to neighbour India to take treatment considering costs. Whether will there be a focus on low costs for patients in building the hospital?
Sajal Dutta: Certainly there will be a focus because you can save your travel and accommodation expenses if you receive treatment here (in Bangladesh). A Bangladeshi patient has to pay for staying and having food in Kolkata and for going there several times. It cannot be said that a patient will receive the whole treatment going there once. So, the hospital that will be in Bangladesh will cost low.
Jago News: How extensively Desun Hospital can provide treatment to patients in India?
Sajal Dutta: We have four units in India and now two are in operation. It has Kolkata's most notable cardiac, neuro, cancer, gastro and kidney transplant treatment. Apart from this, whole nephrology and along with it, we are advancing bone marrow transplant. It is noted that it is the first hospital in East India that has a helipad on its roof. We will soon get permission for the helipad. The helipad has already been created and it has many facilities. If someone from Jashore thinks I have a critical patient and will shift to CCU or ICU, can land straightly to our hospital in Kolkata from Jashore helipad. The system will be in the next year. Only Desun has this facility. Another matter is that more patients come to our unit in Siliguri from Rangpur because Rangpur's border is with Siliguri.
We (India) think Bangladesh international but I don't think so. Rather, I think we are in a bond. The rate of international patients in India are 25 to 30 percent more than that of Indian ones. We from the beginning decided that rate of the patients who will go to India will be the same as Indian ones. It's our speciality. As a result, the overall cost is less and that is why, many people come to our hospital. There is transparency due to the same rate. I came from Bongaon and I have a rate and I came from Jashore 25 kilometers away and my rate is 30 percent- I don't believe in it.
Jago News: Do you think more investment should come in Bangladesh healthcare?
Sajal Dutta: Additional investment will come. First of all, not only in Bangladesh but also all hospitals in India will eye who can make a hospital properly here. Because all will know there is an opportunity for investment. I have a soul relationship with Bangladesh and I am saying someone should move forward first. So, we are moving forward. You will see a lot of (investment) will come if we become successful. It will create chance of not only investment of 1,000 crore but also more investment. Indian hospitals will see an institution here is running well. People's going to India from Bangladesh for treatment will not stop due to Desun's 1000-bed hospital. We can accommodate few patients in our hospital. All know, 50 more hospitals can be built in Bangladesh like of mine but they will see the first step because it is an international investment. For this reason, all eye what's happening and then they will follow.
Jago News: Did you select any area for the hospital? Do you face any obstacles?
Sajal Dutta: Primarily we selected four places. We will have to do more research where the hospital will be more convenient. We will choose a place from four Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Khulna and then will start work there. We will have a big hospital at Tk 1,000.
Jago News: Do you have any suggestions for Bangladeshi patients to take treatment?
Sajal Dutta: Desun never sees it as business and it thinks it is a place of human service. Many hospitals take more than 30 percent rate from Bangladeshi patients but we don't. Come to Desun. It is called as soon as possible if any problem is created from Desun. We will advance more. Treatment of a patient doesn't end after surgery, he has to come again and again. That is why we here talk about telemedicine. This service will be in four places - Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna and Sylhet. We will communicate with patients through telemedicine and our all files will be digital so that any patient, who received treatment in Kolkata, don't need to go to Kolkata again after facing any difficulty. Indian physicians will also be here. We will have communication with doctors here, they will say.
Jago News: You said you have a soul relation with Bangladesh, want something about it-
Sajal Dutta: My seven generations are of Khulna. My father studied in Dhaka University and then, went to Kolkata where I was born. I went to US from there and then, did business. I entered Khulna as it is the place of my seven generations. I need to do something for this country. This is my country, my seven generations' country. I was born in Kolkata and citizen of India and stay in West Bengal but this soul strength will take me forward.
IHR/SU