China Eastern Airlines has planned to operate flights from Bangladesh’s port city of Chattogram to Kunming. This initiative aims to help Bangladeshi people receive treatment in hospitals in the southern Chinese city, officials said on Saturday (March 29).

China has dedicated four Kunming hospitals for the treatment of patients from Bangladesh, but the high air ticket cost is seen as a major impediment to travel to the Chinese city.

Officials said the planned flights between Kunming and Chattogram will reduce travel costs and time, paving the way for more Bangladeshis to access healthcare facilities in China.

Nazmul Islam, Bangladesh's Ambassador to China, said the authorities in Kunming have dedicated hospital floors for Bangladeshi patients.

"The treatment fees are modest. A patient from Bangladesh pays the same fees as paid by local Chinese people," Ambassador Nazmul Islam said.

To expedite travel to Kunming, the civil aviation authorities in Dhaka have also moved to cut the air ticket cost for flights between Dhaka and Kunming.

Chinese authorities have said they would open up more healthcare facilities for the Bangladeshi people in the country.

Bangladesh will send a large team of journalists to Kunming in April next year to see the treatment facilities for themselves.

Last month, dozens of Bangladeshis traveled to Kunming for the first time for treatment. They spoke highly of the standard of hospitals there. However, many of them complained of the travel costs.