Dhaka, March 1 -- Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen has urged the pharmaceutical companies to take an initiative to manufacture medical equipment and devices locally in order to reduce the financial burden on patients and save foreign exchanges.

The minister made the call while inaugurating the 15th Asia Pharma Expo 2024 (APE 2024) and ASIA LAB EXPO 2024, an international trade platform on pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, on Thursday as the chief guest.

The three-day international exhibition is being held at Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre in Rupganj, Narayanganj.

"Heart stents, catheters or many other medical devices are expensive and they cost a huge amount of money to import. This puts economic pres...