Reza Mahmud :
Patients in almost every hospital in the country are suffering seriously due to huge shortages of nurses.
Sources said, health sector has lacks of adequate nurses as the institutes failed to provide nurses as per the needs of public and private hospitals, clinics and individual demands.
Though it is simple to remain more nurses then doctors, in Bangladesh the matter is totally reversed.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) standard, there will be a ratio of doctors and nurses as 1:3. But in Bangladesh the existence ratio is 1.66:1. That means there is one nurse against nearly two doctors.
Doctor-Nurse ratio as per WHO standard 1:3
Existence ratio 1.66: 1
Registered MBBS Doctors 93,625
Registered nurses 56,733
Official data of Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BM&DC) shows that there are 93,625 registered MBBS doctors in the country.
On the other hand, Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council said there are 56,733 registered nurses.
WHO standard required a total 280875 nurses in Bangladesh. But there is still 224,142 nurses shortage as per the data.
Officials of the council said many of the registered nurses have retired. About 50,000 nurses are now in work.
Data of Directorate General of Health Services shows that there are about 610 government hospitals in Bangladesh. It also shows that there are about 4,300 private hospitals and clinics in the country. So, there are acute nurses’ crisis in those hospitals and clinics.
Besides, more patients beyond the bed capacity are usually got admitted to government hospitals.
Experts said, the main reason of the nurses’ crisis is the lack of government’s initiatives. There is huge shortage of nurses as the nursing institutes and colleges in the country are producing less number of nurses.
BN&MC data shows that 43 government-nursing institutes have 2,580 diploma nurses seats while 161 private ones have 7,820 seats.
It also shows that there are 18 government Nursing colleges to produce 1,435 BSC nurses and 58 private colleges to produce 2670 B SC nurses every year.
Mentionable, to curb the nurses’ shortage, the government took a policy on July 12, 2009 to establish nursing colleges and institutes in the private sector.
The experts said, it is highly necessary to establish a number of nursing institutes in government and private initiatives to reduce nurses’ crisis.
“Acute teacher crisis is the main reason not to establish more institutes in private initiatives. The private institutes have failed to get adequate number of teachers or instructors,” said Jamal Uddin Badsha, Secretary General of Bangladesh Nurses Association. He said, the government should take effective initiatives to curb nurses shortage in the country to speed up health services.
Tandra Shikdar, former DG of the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery, told The New Nation, “The shortage of nurse is a reality. Government is trying honestly to minimize the crisis.”
BNMC Registrar, Shuriya Begum said, “To fulfill the targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) it is very important to produce more nurses here. The government is working for this.”
She said, “In Japan, Qatar, Malaysia, Europe, and America and in every country in developed world, they are very keen to import nurses from Asian countries like Bangladesh. India and the Philippines. So, there is huge market in nursing abroad through proper planning as per their targets. But we are staying leg behind due to lack of proper planning.
“There are huge private entrepreneurs who are keen to establish nursing institutes but they are denied of permission.
When contacted, Md. Asadul Islam, Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry told The New Nation, “It is not only important to increase the number of nurses, but it is highly important to produce quality nurses who can provide adequate services required as per their responsibilities.”
He said, the government has a plan to curb nurses’ crisis.
When contacted, Professor Dr. Muzaherul Huq, former advisor for South and East Asia of WHO, told The New Nation, “The government should take strategic plan to development human resources as per the demand of the country.”
He said, there is no effective plan of the government so far to curb nurses’ shortage.
To get admission in Nursing Institute for diploma nursing course, students need to pass minimum SSC in any discipline. In the course of BSC nursing, students need to get HSC certificate with biology. They have to achieve minimum GPA 2.50.
Besides female, 10 percent male students also get the chance to study nursing.
It cost Tk 1.50 to 2 lakh in a 4 years course of BSC Nursing in government colleges while the expenditure will be doubled in private ones.
But the students in diploma nursing course in government institutes have no cost. Instead, they get some allowances from the government.
