Govt to set up medical universities in Chittagong, Rajshahi

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said her government has decided to set up two more medical universities to provide better health services.

The medical universities would come up in Rajshahi and Chittagong, she said while inaugurating the newly constructed outdoor complex of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on Saturday.

“Universities are very important if we want to provide better services to the people.”

“We’ve already decided that besides the university here, we will set up two more in Chittagong and Rajshahi. The orders have already been issued.”

The military-run hospitals that have 500 beds will be upgraded to medical colleges.

“I told the army that those with 500 beds can be converted into medical colleges.”

There are currently 23 medical colleges in Bangladesh while processes were on to establish five more, she said.

She mentioned that six dental colleges, five health technology institutes, seven nursing colleges and 12 nursing training institutes had been set up in the last six years.

She urged the doctors at BSMMU to behave well with patients at the event held at Shahid Dr Milan Hall.

“Good behaviour plays a huge role in healing patients. They rely on you...on your behaviour, so keep that in mind when you treat them.”

She hoped BSMMU’s outdoor complex, that took four years to complete, allow doctors to provide better treatment to the patients due to its ‘enhanced environment’.

Conducting research was important for high-quality health services, she said, recalling how her government in 1998 had decided to convert the Institute of Postgraduate Medical Research (IPGMR) to BSMMU, despite opposition from the BNP.

“How can a sovereign state not have a medical university? … We were right in our decision.”

“I’ve learnt that an Institutional Review Board was set up in this university for taking up research of international standards. I hope you will concentrate more in research.”

“There aren’t enough nurses, so more will have to be appointed.”

She said people in the past neglected this vital sector in health services, so the number of working nurses could not match the number of doctors and patients.