Published: 12:26 AM, 24 April 2026
Bangladesh-India partnership set to boost medical tourism
Bangladesh's Rhythm Group and India's Manipal Hospitals on Thursday signed an agreement to streamline medical tourism, ensuring Bangladeshi patients' easier access to advanced healthcare services in India. The agreement was signed at a ceremony held at a city hotel, attended by Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Kumar Verma as chief guest.
Rhythm Group Managing Director Shohag Hossain and Manipal Health Enterprises Group Consultant Jithu Jose signed the deal on behalf of their respective organisations, while Rhythm Group Deputy Managing Director Abhir Hossain was present, BSS reports.
Speaking on the occasion, Verma said the agreement reflected the deepening people-centric partnership between Bangladesh and India and would further strengthen bilateral cooperation in healthcare and connectivity.
He said such initiatives would facilitate access to quality and affordable healthcare services for Bangladeshi citizens and welcomed greater private sector collaboration between the two neighbouring countries.
Group COO of Manipal Health Enterprises Karthik Rajagopal said the partnership would help Bangladeshi patients gain hassle-free access to patient-centric, world-class healthcare services.
On behalf of Rhythm Group, Abhir Hossain said the collaboration would bring major relief to Bangladeshi patients by ensuring reliable guidance, smoother travel arrangements and easier access to advanced treatment facilities in India.
Under the partnership, Bangladeshi patients will receive end-to-end support for treatment in India, including medical consultations, hospital selection and travel arrangements.
The initiative combines Rhythm Group's expertise in travel, aviation and logistics with Manipal Hospitals' clinical network of 49 hospitals, more than 12,600 beds and over 11,000 doctors.
Services will also include facilitation of second medical opinions, review of medical reports and tailored guidance to ensure suitable treatment options.
Patients will benefit from coordinated travel support, including accommodation arrangements and special airfare facilities through airline partnerships.
Both sides also announced plans to introduce a digital video consultation platform, enabling Bangladeshi patients to consult specialist doctors remotely before travelling.
In the long term, the two organisations aim to establish a multidisciplinary hospital in Bangladesh through a joint venture to strengthen local healthcare capacity.
