Bangladesh is grappling with a shortage of doctors compared to the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The push to establish new medical colleges nationwide is often justified by this disparity. While increasing the number of physicians is crucial, it is essential to assess whether this approach aligns with the country’s socioeconomic conditions and institutional capabilities. Focusing solely on numbers without ensuring proper infrastructure and system capacity may lead to outcomes contrary to the intended goal.
Currently, Bangladesh has around 11,000 MBBS seats in government and private medical colleges, resulting in approximately 10,000 new medical graduates annually. The key question is whether the healthcare system can accommodate this influx of doctors.
In Bangladesh, government doctors are recruited through the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS). The recruitment process, which typically spans 2.5-3 years for regular BCS and around 1.5 years for special BCS, may leave a significant number of doctors outside the government health system. Private healthcare facilities in the country mainly offer routine surgical services and heavily rely on specialist physicians from the public sector, limiting employment opportunities for fresh MBBS graduates.
This mismatch between doctor supply and demand has driven down physicians’ earnings significantly. Many young doctors work in private hospitals for meager pay, reflecting a severe undervaluation of their skills. Political influence and local interests have led to the establishment of numerous medical colleges, with each aiming to enhance healthcare services locally. However, medical colleges primarily serve as educational institutions, not as full-fledged healthcare providers.
To address these challenges, upgrading district hospitals with adequate resources and services would be a more practical solution than establishing new medical colleges. Many newly established and existing medical colleges in Bangladesh face issues such as inadequate faculty and infrastructure, compromising the quality of medical education.
The government must implement stringent policies, including suspending admissions to colleges lacking essential facilities, transferring students to better-equipped institutions, and ensuring that new colleges meet all requirements before admitting students. Medical education demands high standards from the outset to ensure the competency and quality of future healthcare professionals.
Without halting the haphazard expansion of medical colleges, Bangladesh’s healthcare system’s future remains uncertain. The government must take decisive action to prioritize excellence in medical education over mere expansion to secure a sustainable and high-quality healthcare policy for the nation.
