Speakers at an international seminar yesterday said nursing, as a profession, should receive more recognition socially and financially in the country for its development.
There is an acute shortage of nurses in the country and abroad. So we have to produce nurses who meet the international standard to catch the global market after fulfilling the country’s demand, they said.
They were speaking at the seminar titled ‘Foreign collaboration in promoting nursing and paramedic education in Bangladesh’ at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city.
International Medical College and Kean University of New Jersey, USA jointly organised the seminar. The institutions also signed an exchange programme for their faculty and students and to conduct joint research projects.
Foreign collaboration could be an effective way to increase the number of quality nurses and paramedics in the country, they added.
They also talked on the strategies of such types of collaboration and stressed on the need for private public partnership in producing a significant number of quality nurses.
“The present nurse to patient ratio in the country is 1: 3,600 and nurse to doctor ratio is 1:3. Whereas, the nurse to doctor ratio globally is 3:1,” said International Medicare Limited Managing Director M Abdur Rab.
He added that the service situation could easily be understood from this ratio.
The speakers suggested to conduct researches to find the exact scenario of the country’s nursing education, establish more nursing colleges and eradicate social stigma regarding nursing to bring more people to this profession.
Health Adviser Prof Syed Modasser Ali was present as the chief guest while Prof Dr Shahla Khatun, chairperson of International Medicare Limited, chaired the inaugural session.
International Affairs Adviser Prof Dr Gowher Rizvi, East West University Founder Dr Farashuddin Ahmed, Kean University Human Resources Director Faruque Ahmed Chowdhury, World Health Organization Country Representative Sergei Diordista, North South University Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof SAM Khairul Bashar and Kean University Vice President Prof Mark Lender also spoke.
