No one will be allowed to set up a substandard medical college, says health state minister

State Minister for Health Dr M A Muhit has said that no substandard medical college will be allowed to be established by exerting political pressure or the influence of powerful quarters.

He also said the government is in a strict position to ensure the international standard of medical education and the safety of patients.

He made the remarks as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of an 'Assessor Training' programme held on Wednesday (November 4) at the conference room of the Bangladesh Medical Education Accreditation Council (BMEAC) in Mohakhali in the capital.

Dr Muhit said, 'Since taking responsibility, we have not yet approved any new private medical college. Intense pressure is coming from various influential quarters over this. But no one will be allowed to set up a medical college without meeting the quality and the prescribed conditions.'

He said, 'A medical college without a hospital, and someone becoming a doctor without seeing patients — such a situation cannot be allowed to continue.'

Highlighting the inequality and geographical imbalance in medical education in the country, the state minister said nearly 50 percent of the country's medical and dental colleges are concentrated in Dhaka Division, while the imbalance in the remaining seven divisions is clear.

He said the popular tendency of demanding a medical college in one's own district or upazila in parliament or political speeches at any time must be avoided, and the health structure must be built in a planned way.

Emphasising the following of international standards, Dr Muhit said that unless accreditation is achieved by following the rules of the World Federation for Medical Education, approved by the World Health Organization, the global workplace of our future generation of doctors will shrink. Maintaining international standards is now mandatory to restore the professional dignity and trust of doctors, he also remarked.

Expressing concern about students returning with degrees from abroad, he said only 30 percent of doctors who passed from abroad recently passed the registration examination.

The state minister urged guardians to verify the quality of education of the institution concerned before sending their children abroad by spending hard-earned money.