The government has taken up a series of measures to make the country’s medical education more modern and time-befitting and of international standard. As a part of it, according to an official document, much importance is being given to higher investment and higher training in medical education. The document mentioned that confronting all the challenges to achieve the targets the government will give priority to activities such as bringing all the Post- Graduate Medical Education degrees under one platform and modernisation of examination system. It will also maintain continuous training of the teachers, giving more emphasis on research by the medical education teachers and developing the quality of education in non-government sector. The government is implementing various development activities in health, nutrition and population sector according to the Perspective Plan, National Health Policy and 8th Five Year Plan. The government is continuously trying to ensure quality service at non-government medical colleges, medical education and training institutions, to keep the education expenses within the reach of the population, to modernise of nursing education and to keep it updated according to the need of the country. Read: Steps underway to reopen educational institutions: Hasina For the development of nursing college, as per the document, the government will complete Dhaka Nursing College accreditation. The activities are going on to establish a medical university in every division and transforming the Nursing Institute into a Nursing College. For the development of medical education, steps have been taken to establish simulation lab in eight medical colleges. In order to form a base for fundamental and action research in the medical science sector in the country and to use this knowledge in health service, health education, public health, microbiology, pathology and disease control sector, the government has created an ‘Integrated Health-Science Research and Development Fund’ of Tk. 100 crore. To use this fund properly ‘Integrated Health-Science Research and Development Fund Use Guidelines 2020’ has been prepared and according to this guideline a national level committee has been formed. In the FY2021-22, a total of 23 researchers/research institutions have been selected for starting their research works. Read: Meeting on reopening educational institutions Sunday An amount of Tk.100 cr has also been allocated to this fund in the running 2022-23 fiscal year. The document further mentioned that the government has taken up various priority-based activities for the development of mother and child health care under the 4th sector programme. This includes the training of the doctors on maternity health care services, the training of the field-level workers on ‘community-based skilled birth attendant’, providing integrated services. The government has taken up various priority-based activities for the development of mother and child health under the 4th sector programme. This includes the training of the doctors on maternity health care services, the training of the field-level workers on ‘community-based skilled birth attendant’, providing integrated service for the pregnant women, the expansion of the ‘Mother Health Voucher Scheme’, the early detection of cervical and breast cancer. The government has introduced a three-year Midwifery Course and created 3,000 Midwife posts. Recruitment against the newly created posts is going on. ‘The Development of Child and Mother Health and Health Management System’ project is being implemented. Now the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care Service is being provided in all medical college hospitals of the country, in 59 Zilla hospitals, in 132 Upazila Health Complexes throughout the country, and in the rest of the Upazila Health Complexes the “Basic Emergency Obstetrics Service’ is also available. A 200-bed Mother and Child Health Training Institution has been set up at Lalkuthi, Dhaka. To expand health service up to the grass-root level of the country the government has established 102 10-bed Mother and Child Welfare Centre at Union level, and another 57 centres are under construction. The government is working to provide adolescent health service. For this, ‘Adolescent Friendly Health Service Corner’ has been set up in 1103 service centres. For proper physical and mental development of the adolescents, service and information are being provided through 603 ‘Adolescent Friendly Health Corner’ at Union Health and Family Welfare Centres and at Mother and Child Welfare Centres, the document said.

The Medical Colleges (Governing Bodies) (Repeal), Bill 2021 was passed in Parliament on Wednesday. Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque moved the Bill and it was passed by voice vote. Read: Electricity Supply Act to get time extension, Bill placed The new law will abolish the Medical Colleges (Governing Bodies) Ordinance 1961. As per the objective of the Bill, the ordinance has no effectiveness since some other laws have been enacted for medical education in Bangladesh.

The admission tests to all dental colleges across the country for the academic year 2020-21 have been rescheduled for June 11. The previous date of intake tests was on April 30. Also read: Buet admission test: Application deadline extended to May 3 The admission test for all dental colleges and dental units has been rescheduled due to the surge of Covid-19 cases in the second wave of pandemic, said a notification signed by Dr AKM Ahsan Habib, director of Directorate General of Health Services (Medical Education). Read No assignments for secondary school students

The government has planned to spend Tk 935.81 billion up to 2022-23 fiscal year starting from the current one for the heath sector development as it is committed to taking healthcare facilities to the doorsteps of people.