Finance minister M Saifur Rahman will inaugurate the well-equipped 25-beded hospital, set up on a government land at Puran Lane in the city.

Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran and Secretary General of Bangladesh Diabetic Association AK Azad Khan will be the special guests at the function.

Dr. M.A. Raquib, president of Sylhet Diabetic Association will chair the function.

Construction of the three storied building was completed in December 2001 at a cost of Tk two crore and equipment worth Tk one crore were brought in September this year.

It came into being mainly at the initiative of Sylhet Diabetic Association, set up in 1984.

About 100 patients are given medicare services every day there. Treatment of poor patients will be subsidised, the hospital management told this correspondent.

The Association had started a diabetic clinic in January 1985 with temporary arrangements at Pourashava's Binodini Poura Charitable hospital.

The government allotted a land for a diabetic clinic at Puran Lane in January 1993.

The project was later included in the government's programme to establish seven diabetic hospitals in the country. It got ECNEC approval in 1995.

Expressing gratitude to the contributors, Sylhet Diabetic Association General Secretary AFM Kamal said more funds are now needed for construction of residences for doctors and nurses to turn it in a full fledged institution.

Dr. MA Raquib said there are eight lakh diabetic patients in Sylhet region. The hospital should be expanded we have to do much more.