The government and private medical colleges are suffering from teachers’crisis in basic sciences hampering regular academic activities.
As a result, the foundation of the medical students is becoming week taken to be threat to the future medical sciences.
According to the experts, it implies upon the students to learn basic sciences in order to become world standard doctors.
The subjects thereof are Anatomy, Physiology, Bio-Chemistry, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Community Medicine.
According to the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Policy, basic sciences are the foundation of the medical sciences. It is impossible to develop the medical sciences and to get reputed doctors ignoring the subjects of the basic sciences.
There shall be a teacher for every 10 students in case of the basic sciences, the policy said.
But many medical colleges ignore the basic sciences and complete the courses of the students without enough knowledge in the field of basic science.
A total of 57 students are admitted into Pabna Medical College every year. It needs at least six teachers in every department. But there is one teacher only for each of Microbiology and Forensic Department. There are two teachers in Anatomy Department.
Noakhali Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College can take 57 students each year. It should have six teachers in each department. But unfortunately, the Forensic Department is running without any teacher while Anatomy Department has only one.
Patuakhali Medical College has room to admit 51 students every year. But there is no teacher in the Pharmacology and Pathology departments. Each department is running with one teacher only at Anatomy, Bio-chemistry and Microbiology departments. Forensic Department has two teachers.
Not only at Pabna Medical College, Noakhali Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College and Patuakhali Medical College; there are teachers’ crisis at Dhaka Medical College and Suhrawardy Medical College also, the Health and Family Planning Ministry sources said.
Regional Adviser of the World Health Organisation Professor Dr Mozaherul Hoque said, the teachers’ crisis in the subjects of the basic sciences is the barrier to the medical education. The quality of the future doctors will fall if the crisis continues.
Vice-President of Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Dr ABM Maksudul Alam said, a good number of students become teachers of basic sciences. But they go abroad for higher education. Most of them never come back.
“The teachers of the basic sciences do not get proper respect and facilities. The patients are also reluctant to go to them for treatment. As a result, the teachers stop their study in the basic sciences and attain another degree for medical treatment,” he said.
He said that the government must take extra measurers to keep the teachers in their academic activities giving huge facilities. “The government can provide training abroad and doubled the privileges,” he said.
Director of Directorate of Health (Education and Development) Professor Abdur Rashid said the government has taken many initiatives to resolve the teachers of basic science crisis. “We have held several meetings in this regard. I think the crisis will not be longer,” he said.
