10. The Crisis starts here

10. The Crisis starts here

When poverty enters medicine disappears was the main feature of medical services delivery in Bengal for centuries. Persons with lesser ability had the desire to get cured and take the best possible medical care but lack of ability hindered them.

This has been the case of medical disciplines also. The traditional Indian medicine practiced by Ayurdbedas was overpowered by foreign intruders time and again. Each of the invader brought their own medicine. So, it was no denying that the Englishmen shall introduce their own system of medicine. Because of the all out patronization the modern medicine got it’s ground in Indian sub continent more firmly than others.

Initially, It was more regarded as a devotion than a profession. A very small number of youths from affluent and enlightened middle class families had the desire to go to a medical school. Most of them did not have the desire to join a government job. During Pakistan period more and more kids of middle class families began to join medical schools and go for pubic jobs in the civil or military services. But in the private practice sector intra personal issues mainly rapidly created severe rift among the medical professionals. Major factor was higher degrees from abroad. The urge for more status, more money and more influence engulfed a few members of the profession who rapidly infected many others.

Two events came to us as very bizarre. One sudden increase in medical college seats immediately after liberation of Bangladesh and denial of General Medical Council of Great Britain to recognize the undergraduate degree of this newly independent country. The whole nation became astonished except a few. The existing Royal College fellows gathered and established the Bangladesh College of Physician s and Surgeons in an attempt to be self reliant. It no denying that fact that the BCPS has gone a long way except maintaining the standard of the undergraduate medical education which does not come within it’s jurisdiction, the crisis starts here. .

From 1948 to 1988 medical education in the country was a government sponsored and controlled affair under the ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In 1988 the military government of Hossain Mohammad Ershad allowed a private society to establish a private medical college in Dhaka without framing any rules, regulations thereof.. Actually the ministry lacks any rule to control the public institutes also. Therefore, the so called pious “hopes” of the military ruler marked a big change without keeping any legal protection for the government machinery also.

The Bangladesh Medical Association vehemently opposed it but they were silenced gradually. One year after another medical college was established in the port city of Chittagong which was opposed by the Ministry of Health also but could not prevent it because they did not have the any legal protection to oppose it.. Subsequently, many more medical colleges came up. Some of them could not survive. A number of them are often accused of poor quality. Newspaper reports appears about their less optimum growth. The result are frustrating.

Meantime, the govt. went on to establish five more medical colleges after 1991 coming to power of Ziaur Rahman’s BNP party and post graduate course like Diploma, M.S, M. Phil were opened in many of the old eight medical colleges. So, one does not have to look much for a consultant with one or more post graduate degree, the question is quality. The BCPS is not responsible or accountable for it as it does not have any control over it.

My Words

Eight
- The most powerful but non recognized communication medium is whispering and the most powerful administrative tool is anonymous letter.

Abul Kashem Minto