Divisional cancer, kidney, cardiac hospitals face more delays, as ministry seeks extension
IMED described overall progress as unsatisfactory and urged quick completion, stressing the importance of ensuring construction quality, expediting procurement of equipment and furniture, and addressing audit objections
Highlights:
- Eight divisional specialty hospitals unfinished six years after project launch
- IMED rejects further delays; urges completion by July 2026
- Health ministry seeks two-year extension citing recruitment and equipment delays
- Project cost revised to Tk3,433 crore; progress deemed unsatisfactory
- Hospitals aim to decentralize cancer, kidney, cardiac treatment nationwide
- Bangladesh faces severe shortages in cancer, dialysis, cardiac care
The project to establish full-fledged cancer, kidney, and cardiac hospitals in eight divisional cities remains unfinished six years after its launch, despite two extensions.
The Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) has refused any further delays, urging that the work be completed by the original deadline of July 2026.
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However, the health ministry is pushing for an additional two-year extension to complete the project.
The project, overseen by the Directorate General of Health Services under the Health Services Division and constructed by the Public Works Department, was physically inspected by IMED at multiple sites, including Khulna on 5 February, Rajshahi on 21 January, and Sylhet on 16 October last year.
IMED submitted its inspection report on 26 February titled "Establishment of Cancer, Kidney and Heart Disease Treatment Centres in Eight Divisional Cities."
With a revised cost of Tk3,433 crore, the project, running from July 2019 to June 2026, has achieved 48.24% financial progress and 78.12% physical progress as of December 2025.
IMED described overall progress as unsatisfactory and urged quick completion, stressing the importance of ensuring construction quality, expediting procurement of equipment and furniture, and addressing audit objections.
Objectives of the project
The project aims to expand treatment coverage for cancer, kidney, and heart patients nationwide, ensure early diagnosis and timely care, decentralise services to reach marginalised populations, reduce patients' out-of-pocket expenses and upgrade healthcare services to international standards.
Initially planned as 100-bed cancer hospitals in eight divisional cities at a cost of Tk2,300 crore (implementation July 2019–June 2022), the project was later revised, increasing the cost by 49.51% and extending the tenure to June 2025.
Division-wise implementation progress
Each hospital will be a 15-storey building, except in Dhaka, collectively serving 450 patients across the three diseases. The hospitals are being built at Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital in Dhaka and seven divisional medical colleges.
Sylhet (MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital): Physical progress around 97%, finishing work nearly complete. Pending tasks include lift installation, some medical equipment, boundary walls, medical gas lines, substations, generator building, STPs, and HVAC systems.
Khulna Medical College Hospital: Approximately 91% complete, with main structure ready but ongoing work on tiles, ceiling plaster, sanitary pipelines, fire hydrants, and medical gas system.
Rajshahi: Structural work largely completed, finishing and ancillary works remain pending.
Proposal to extend project deadline
Project Director Md Taufiq Hasan Firoz told The Business Standard that completing the project by July 2026 is impossible. A two-year extension has been proposed, citing incomplete recruitment, pending equipment procurement, and some unstarted components. The Ministry of Health returned the proposal for revisions, which will be resubmitted after adjustments.
Sources indicate delays were caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, installation requirements for radiation machines, and subsequent design modifications to incorporate kidney and cardiac centers alongside the cancer facilities.
Current cancer, kidney, cardiac treatments
The National Cancer Research Institute and Hospital, the country's only fully government-run cancer facility, has eight radiotherapy machines – only two are operational – forcing patients to wait 8-10 months. The Oncology Department at Bangladesh Medical University faces similar pressure.
Bangladesh Cancer Society estimates 13-15 lakh cancer patients nationwide. Globocan 2020 reports 156,000 new cases and 1.08 lakh deaths annually. The 500-bed hospital admits about 50 patients daily, while 1,000 receive outpatient care, but demand far exceeds capacity.
Nearly two crore people have kidney disease; 40,000 suffer kidney failure each year, and 75% die due to lack of dialysis or transplants. Experts say district-level dialysis could prevent many premature deaths.
Non-communicable diseases cause 67% of deaths in Bangladesh, with 30% due to cardiovascular disease. In 2022, 17.45% of deaths were from heart attacks. There are 42 cardiac care units nationwide, 32 capable of surgery, but only three government hospitals perform cardiac operations.
Cities like Sylhet, Rangpur, and Khulna have cath labs but no surgical facilities. Annually, 10,000–12,000 cardiac surgeries are performed – far below the 25,000 needed.
IMED has called for urgent action to ensure the timely completion of the hospitals, emphasising the critical need to expand access to essential cancer, kidney, and heart treatments across the country.
