'Bangladesh will lead in medicine sector'

Senior Correspondent: Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammed Nasim said Bangladesh will play a lead role in medicine sector in near future. Medicines produced here in Bangladesh would be exported abroad meeting the country's demand.

The minister said this while addressing a view-exchange meeting organised on the occasion of inauguration of 3rd plant of state-owned pharmaceutical manufacturer Essential Drugs Company Ltd (EDCL) here in Gopalganj on Tuesday.

“Of the project’s four units, the penicillin unit would start its production on trial basis from next month in Gopalganj,” Nasim told the view-exchange meeting.

“Installment of the 3rd plant has already been completed…Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would formally inaugurate the plant next month,” said the minister.

Full phase production of the plants would start from December of this year, the minister added.

Currently, EDCL is supplying 72 percent of its medicines to government hospitals and health care centres, Nasim said, adding, “EDCL would be able to provide 100 percent medicines to the hospitals as soon as these plants go into full production.”

The construction work of EDCL, 3rd Plant project was taken up in March, 2015 at a cost of Taka 600 crores on 10 acres of land. At least 778 people would be employed in the factory.

The plant will consist of administration Building (Main Building), Penicillin Production Building, Utility and Engineering Building, Contraceptive Production Building, Inter Venus (IV) Production Building, Quality Control (QC) and Iron Tablet Production Building, Central Ware House Building, Gate Housing Building and Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP).

risingbd/Dhaka/Aug 28, 2018/Noimuddin/AI