The BNP government has approved the first public medical college in its current term, with plans underway to establish seven more, as many established medical schools grapple with severe shortages of teachers and infrastructure.
The resource and workforce crunch at the existing public medical colleges, particularly those set up in recent years, is so acute that the interim government cut a significant number of seats at 14 colleges after an assessment last year.
Against this backdrop, the health ministry, on May 14, approved the establishment of Thakurgaon Medical College, taking the total number of government medical colleges to 38.
The order, signed by Health Secretary Md Quamruzzaman Chowdhury, takes effect immediately, meaning the college authorities are cleared to begin admitting students from the upcoming academic session.
The approval process, however, bypassed the recommendations of the Health Sector Reform Commission formed by the interim government.
In its report submitted in May last year, the commission suggested that experts should thoroughly assess the necessity for and feasibility of establishing any new medical college.
Between 2010 and 2020, the Awami League-led government established 20 public medical colleges, with many of those approvals made on political grounds, officials said.
Political leaders often believe that establishing a public medical college in their areas would bring in professor- or associate professor-level doctors and reflect their party’s success.
The then administration had also increased seats by 1,030 for the 2023-24 session, a move widely criticised for being made without proper assessment despite shortages of teachers, infrastructure, and laboratory facilities.
The lack of teachers and infrastructure is hampering the quality of medical education, which will eventually have an adverse impact on the health sector, experts said.
After the fall of the AL regime in August 2024, the interim government sharply criticised the earlier expansion and announced plans to rationalise seats to uphold academic standards.
In November last year, the health ministry cut 355 seats across 14 government medical colleges, though new allocations elsewhere brought the net reduction to 280 seats.
The interim government, however, in January this year gave conditional approval for the establishment of a new public medical college in Munshiganj, saying academic activities could begin only after the necessary infrastructure had been developed.
Two advisers to the interim government from the district played a key role in getting the approval, according to health ministry officials.
Then, on April 22, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain told the parliament that the government is planning to set up medical colleges in seven more districts.
A health ministry official said another district was recently added to the list, taking the total number of medical colleges under process to eight, including the one in Thakurgaon.
A Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME) team has already submitted assessment reports on proposed medical colleges in Narsingdi and Brahmanbaria to the health ministry.
The ministry sent back the report on the Brahmanbaria medical college due to issues related to land, the official said, requesting anonymity.
The DGME was also asked to assess the proposals for medical colleges in Sherpur, Laxmipur, Narsingdi, Natore, Bhola, and Joypurhat.
Save for Joypurhat, the proposals for medical colleges came to the health ministry during the interim government’s tenure. For instance, Mahfuj Alam, the information adviser, wrote to the health ministry, seeking a medical college in his hometown of Laxmipur, said health ministry and DGME officials involved with the proceedings. They would not be named as they are not authorised to speak on the matter.
After the BNP came to power, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, water resources minister and a lawmaker from the district, also pushed for the medical college.
Former health secretary Saidur Rahman, who hails from Natore, was behind the proposal for Natore Medical College.
Former finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed placed the proposal for Brahmanbaria Medical College. Several new lawmakers from the district later supported the proposal.
Abdul Bari, state minister for public administration and a lawmaker from Joypurhat, is behind the proposal for a medical college there. This was the only proposal that came after the BNP formed the government.
Local organisations submitted proposals for medical colleges in Narsingdi, Sherpur, and Bhola. Narsingdi also happens to be the home district of the health minister.
Although a local association in Thakurgaon submitted an application for a medical college there, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was behind the move, The Daily Star has learnt from health ministry officials.
Speaking to journalists in his hometown of Thakurgaon on February 28 this year, Fakhrul, also the LGRD minister, said a strong team had already started working on the process for establishing Thakurgaon Medical College and had assured him that student admissions could begin by 2027.
Asked whether the approval was given on political grounds, as Thakurgaon is the home district of the BNP secretary general, the health minister refuted the allegation.
“There is no political link here. Thakurgaon is a remote area in the northern part of the country, and the medical college is being established considering those issues.”
DGME officials said they conducted an assessment before the proposal for Thakurgaon Medical College got the go-ahead.
Asked about not following the commission’s recommendation, the health minister said a democratically elected government did not require recommendations from an expert committee to approve a medical college when the DGME itself is a body comprising senior doctors.
Apart from local students, more foreign students are showing interest in studying in Bangladesh, making it necessary to establish more medical colleges, Sakhawat told The Daily Star on Sunday.
From where the medical colleges will manage teachers and infrastructure, however, remains a big question.
At least 43.38 percent of the teaching posts at government medical colleges lie vacant, according to the latest DGME figures.
The most critical gap is at the top level, where a staggering 68.61 percent of professor posts remain unfilled. Fifty percent of associate professor posts and 51 percent of assistant professor posts also lie vacant.
Seven new medical colleges -- in Netrokona, Naogaon, Nilphamari, Magura, Habiganj, Chandpur and Rangamati -- still do not have their own campuses and hospitals several years after their establishment.
The previous governments had established medical colleges in an unplanned manner, M Muzaherul Huq, a member of the health sector reform commission, told The Daily Star on Sunday.
“Is the new medical college part of any planning?” he questioned.
He said the government should have prepared a strategic plan for the next 10 to 20 years by assessing the need for health manpower and determining how many institutions should be developed to meet future demand.
“Without preparing such a plan, no new institution should be founded,” said Muzaherul, also a former regional adviser to the World Health Organization South-East Asia region.
Contacted, Nazmul Hosain, director general of the DGME, said work for building infrastructure for Rangamati Medical College had already started, while the project for Chandpur Medical College had already been approved.
The Development Project Proposals for five other new medical colleges were prepared in 2022, and the authorities are now revising the proposals and hope they would be approved soon.
Regarding the teacher shortage, he said a good number of teachers had been promoted in the last few months, but their postings had not yet been finalised.
Once they are posted, most of the teacher shortage will be resolved, except in some basic subjects, he told this correspondent on Sunday.
Apart from the public medical colleges, there are 72 private medical colleges in the country. Around 11,000 students get admitted to the 110 medical colleges every year.
