In a statement, the defence ministry said there had been a decrease in the number of patients because there were now six other field hospitals in the refugee camp and the condition of the refugees’ health had improved over the years.

“The increase in the number of field hospitals (in Cox’s Bazar) has given more options and access to healthcare services to Rohingya refugees as well as locals who had since reduced their dependency on the Malaysian field hospital which was located outside the refugee camp.

“The establishment of the Malaysian field hospital had succeeded in achieving its objectives and this withdrawal neither affects bilateral relations between Malaysia and Bangladesh nor the country’s image,” the ministry said.

The field hospital had treated 108,038 patients between November 2017 to March 2020, performing over 3,500 surgeries.

It recorded the highest number of patients per month in November 2018 at 8,763 people, but thereafter recorded a downward trend, with the number of patients dropping to 1,690 in February this year.

As a result, the ministry decided to terminate operations at the field hospital this year instead of December 2021 as originally planned.

It said it would continue to address Rohingya matters at regional and international levels, and work towards finding a long-term solution to the refugee crisis.

It added that 56 medical personnel in the armed forces had been recalled, and this has now enabled the Armed Forces Hospitals nationwide to operate at full capacity to better manage the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases.