Bangladesh is ushering in a new era in the rehabilitation of patients with paralysis and long-term neurological diseases.
A pilot project in limited scale is set to begin on Thursday at the country's first robotic rehabilitation centre set up at the Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) Super Specialized Hospital in Shahbagh.
This centre, established with technical assistance from China, has been built to the standards of the developed world, where state-of-the-art technology-based and specific rehabilitation services will be available.
This information was confirmed in a message from the Chief Advisor's Press Wing on Wednesday afternoon.
According to concerned sources, the Chinese government has donated robotic equipment worth about Tk 20 crore to this project. In terms of technology, this centre will be one of the most modern robotic rehabilitation centres in South Asia, which will become a milestone in the medical sector of Bangladesh.
This centre has a total of 62 robots, out of which 22 are based on artificial intelligence (AI). Through these robots, it is possible to provide physiotherapy, neurological rehabilitation and long-term medical services with great precision according to the patient's condition.
According to the BMU authority, 27 doctors and physiotherapists have already been trained under the leadership of a 7-member Chinese biomedical engineer expert team as in preparation for the launch of the centre. The centre will be fully launched once the trained manpower gains experience, skills and the necessary activities are successfully completed.
This robotic centre will benefit patients who are undergoing complex rehabilitation processes, including those with stroke, paralysis, neurological impairment, chronic pain, nerve injury, frozen shoulder, accidental complications, or body limb weakness.
Free robotic medical services will be provided at this centre, especially to those who were injured in the student uprising in July and are still suffering from long-term problems.
The centre will not be limited to special purposes only. Services will be opened to general patients in a phased manner in the light of the planned policy. At the same time, efforts will be made to keep the cost of treatment within the financial capacity of the patients.
Through this centre launching, Bangladesh will enter a new era in modern technology-based rehabilitation treatment. This will not only be a technological advancement for the domestic medical system, but will also become a ray of hope in the lives of people suffering from paralysis and long-term illnesses.
