The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) on March 21, 2023 hosted the “Biomedical Engineers for Quality and Sustainable Healthcare in Bangladesh” program, which aimed to bring together experts from the biomedical engineering field to discuss sustainable healthcare in Bangladesh. The event also covered the inauguration of the Electron Microscope Laboratory and Digital Microscopy Classroom, Ophthalmology, & Vision Laboratory for making BUET part of leading research facilities. The successful implementation of the Zeiss- the 176 years successful German technology under its labs@location partner project in the Biomedical Engineering Department of BUET is the first of its kind in Asia. 

The event attracted a wide range of professionals from the healthcare industry, government, and academia. It included keynote speeches from the head of the department Prof. Dr. M Tarik Arafat. The chief guest of the program was the honorable secretary (health services division) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)- Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain Howlader. Other speakers included additional secretary (health services division)- Mr. Nazmul Haque Khan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (BUET)- Prof. Dr. Abdul Jabbar Khan, and the regional head (SAARC) of the ZEISS group- Vikas Saxena.

In the keynote speech, Dr. M Tarik Arafat highlighted the importance of the active participation of biomedical engineers in the quality and sustainable development of healthcare in Bangladesh and said that the health sector of Bangladesh is developing faster than any other time in the post-Covid period. However, to sustain this development and maintain its quality, the inclusion of biomedical engineers in the healthcare sector is necessary. He also mentioned how the Department of Biomedical Engineering, BUET has already started to play an active role in overall management of dialysis services, medical gas, and medical equipment. The establishment of Electron Microscopy Lab and Digital Microscopy Classroom, Ophthalmology & Vision Lab in collaboration with Zeiss has undoubtedly strengthened the department to play an effective role in the health sector of Bangladesh.

The chief guest of the program Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain Howlader concurred and said, “BUET is serving our nation technically for a long time”. He thanked the Biomedical Engineering department for their contribution in our healthcare sector so far. He also expects that the department will work further to solve our national needs with government support. In the welcome speech, Mr. Nazmul Haque Khan urged for a reduction in the dependency on foreign technical personnel for the maintenance of medical equipment, and emphasized the role of biomedical engineering graduates in achieving this. He also highlighted the importance of cooperation between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Biomedical Engineering, BUET to achieve this feat.

Finally, the guest of honor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Abdul Jabbar Khan said in his closing speech, BUET has always been known as the center of excellence in engineering in Bangladesh. By establishing this kind of laboratory of international standards, Department of Biomedical Engineering, BUET will be able to leave an impression of excellence in healthcare as well.