Riyadh: A bilateral meeting was held between the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the Gulf Health Council (GHC) to strengthen cooperation on expatriate healthcare and welfare initiatives in Riyadh of Saudi Arabia. Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Senior Secretary Dr. Niyamat Ullah Bhuiyan led the Bangladesh delegation while Sulaiman Saleh Al-Dakheel led the Gulf Health Council as its General Manager.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr. Niyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, speaking at the meeting, emphasized the need for decentralizing healthcare support for expatriates. He noted that many Bangladeshi workers living in remote areas face difficulties accessing the GHC's main health centre in Dhaka. He acknowledged frequent complaints about delayed responses from some medical centres and proposed establishing a regional complaint centre and an online platform to report issues directly to the Council.
He also called for greater coordination between the GHC, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and local health desks. Dr. Niyamat Ullah Bhuiyan highlighted the importance of transparency, accountability, and efficiency in administrative policy.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to improve monitoring of healthcare centres under the Council's jurisdiction. Representatives from both Bangladesh and Gulf countries were present.