'Green Channel' in China for Bangladeshi Eye Patients: Advice Before Travel, Priority on Arrival

A special 'green channel' service has been launched in China for Bangladeshi patients who wish to travel there for eye treatment. Under the arrangement, patients will be able to receive medical advice and have their necessary documents reviewed before travelling to China, get priority appointments at the hospital, receive interpreter support, and access follow-up care after returning home.

The service was inaugurated on Saturday (24 October) at Kunming Huaxia Eye Hospital in Kunming, China. Shah Naz Ranu, Consul General of the Bangladesh Consulate General, unveiled the plaque of the 'green channel'. On the same day she also inaugurated the 'Huaxia Ophthalmology International Forum 2026'.

Ridwanur Rahman, First Secretary (Commercial) of the Bangladesh Consulate General, and Zhang Zhiyong, vice president of the hospital, were present at the inauguration ceremony, along with officials and representatives of the hospital authorities.

Those involved said that under the new system Bangladeshi patients will be able to seek medical advice and have their documents reviewed before travelling to China. This will allow an initial assessment of the patient's condition before the journey and make treatment planning easier.

After arriving at the hospital, patients will have access to a separate international desk and priority appointments. Organisers said the desk is intended to reduce the delays foreign patients commonly face in registration and initial procedures.

Interpreter support will be provided to remove language barriers. The assistance is expected to play an important role for patients and their relatives in discussing matters with doctors, understanding test results and following post-treatment instructions.

Patients will also have the opportunity to receive follow-up services after returning home at the end of treatment. Regular monitoring is essential after eye surgery or long-term treatment, and this follow-up is often the biggest challenge for patients treated abroad.

Those involved claimed this is the first specialised service arrangement of its kind for Bangladeshi eye patients in south-western China, centred on the Kunming region.

At the inauguration, Consul General Shah Naz Ranu highlighted the progress of Bangladesh's public health sector and the achievements of the country's eye-care institutions. She also stressed the need to ensure international-standard treatment for Bangladeshi patients alongside patient safety, transparency of services, fair pricing and dignity.

"Ensuring quality and safe medical services for Bangladeshi patients, maintaining transparency in treatment costs and upholding patient dignity are the main expectations of the Bangladesh Consulate General," Shah Naz Ranu said.

Alongside expanding treatment opportunities for Bangladeshi patients in China, she called on the Huaxia hospital authorities to help strengthen the capacity of Bangladesh's own eye-care system. She emphasised training for Bangladeshi eye doctors and nurses, consultations through telemedicine, and partnerships with Bangladeshi eye-care institutions. In her view, such initiatives could help build the capacity to provide advanced eye treatment within Bangladesh itself.

With the new service now launched, those involved hope the process will become easier and better organised for Bangladeshi eye patients interested in treatment in China. Attention will now be on how many patients use the channel in the coming days and how effective the follow-up system proves to be.