Standard Chartered guarantees steady supply of medical oxygen for patients in Jamalpur

Standard Chartered Bangladesh recently collaborated with United Trust to ensure patients at MA Rashid Hospital in Jamalpur have consistent access to medical oxygen.

To solve issues of availability, quality, affordability, and supply, Standard Chartered Bangladesh donated a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Generation Plant to MA Rashid Hospital in Jamalpur. The plant's total installed capacity of 303 litres/minute will provide over 80 ailing patients with a constant supply of oxygen, said a press release.

The PSA Medical Oxygen Generation Plant was inaugurated by Robert Chatterton Dickson, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, who attended the event as a special guest, along with Naser Ezaz Bijoy, chief executive officer, Standard Chartered Bangladesh, and Moinuddin Hasan Rashid, chairman and managing director, United Group.

Other attendees included Enamul Huque, managing director, head of Client Coverage, Corporate, Commercial & Institutional Banking, Standard Chartered Bangladesh; Bitopi Das Chowdhury, head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing, Standard Chartered Bangladesh; Abdur Rahim, chairman, United Trust; and members of local government authorities.

With the pandemic accelerating both local and global demand for oxygen, it became evident that medical oxygen is essential for the treatment of cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, in addition to COVID-19, according to the media release.

Naser Ezaz Bijoy, chief executive officer, Standard Chartered Bangladesh, said, "Sustainable access to oxygen, at times, is the difference between life and death for patients. The need for oxygen continues to increase, while availability remains low – especially outside the major cities of Bangladesh. Now, patients and their families in Jamalpur can rest easy knowing that they will receive the oxygen they need, when they need it. This is not a donation or a reactive response to an unprecedented pandemic – instead, it is an effort, on the Bank's part, to support long-term capacity building for better health care services for communities in need."

"I would like to express my profound gratitude to the Board of Directors of United Trust for providing the Bank with an opportunity to be part of their amazing contribution that changes lives for the better. Being a leading British Investor in Bangladesh, it is a great privilege to inaugurate the oxygen plant in the presence of Robert Chatterton Dickson, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, who took the time to join us in Jamalpur to celebrate this occasion," he added.

Moinuddin Hasan Rashid, chairman and managing director, United Group, said, "As one of the four core focus areas of United Trust, it was always our greatest effort to provide the best healthcare services to the people of Jamalpur and the surrounding districts. Hence, we established MA Rashid Hospital, which will provide a model of healthcare services for all second and third tier cities."

Rashid added, "I am very thankful to Standard Chartered for their act of generosity, which will amplify our effort to elevate the healthcare services in the Jamalpur area and beyond. Ensuring a constant supply of oxygen was much needed after the post-pandemic era. I would also like to thank Robert Chatterton Dickson, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh for his cordial presence to inaugurate the installation of the Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Generation Plant in MA Rashid Hospital."

Earlier this year, in March, Chattogram Maa-Shishu O General Hospital was the first of three medical facilities to receive a PSA Medical Oxygen Generation Plant from Standard Chartered Bangladesh. Via the donation, the bank became the first in the nation to provide a medical facility with access to a steady supply of oxygen. Another oxygen plant was donated to TMSS Medical College & Rafatullah Community Hospital (TMC & RCH) in September. The total oxygen generation potential of the three plants exceeds 1300 litres/minute and serves up to 400 patients per day.

United Trust a concern of the United Group. As the conglomerate's social welfare organ, United Trust works to meet community needs across Bangladesh. At present, United Trust operates eight rural clinics and small hospitals. With 250 beds, MA Rashid Hospital meets the needs of patients in Jamalpur and provides individuals with much needed medical aid and assistance.