Medical Technology and Pharmacy Chhatra Sangam Parishad have placed 6-point demands today (Oct 21).

The students raised the demand while holding a rally near the National Press Club in the capital.

At this time, the students said, “If healthcare is to be mass-oriented, it is essential to guarantee the rights of all the related manpower engaged in healthcare.”

The speakers at the rally said according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, 3 nurses and 5 medical technologists are required against 1 doctor. 

However, due to administrative complications for more than 14 years, the recruitment process of medical technologists has been stopped, and the number of medical technologists working in government jobs is only 4106 and the total number of posts is 5975, the speakers said. 

At this time they said there were to be more than 80 thousand medical technologists in proportion to the number of doctors and nurses but somehow the positions are vacant.

The speakers further said while the medical technology profession has always been undervalued in the context of the country, but the picture is completely different in foreign countries.

They said, professional diplomas are given priorities in abroad. Not only that based on merit, knowledge, ability, skills, experience of the individual is taken into consideration beyond the diploma or degree centric promotion. 

A professional diploma holder is also promoted as a professional graduate, they added.

The six-point demands are:

• Establishing an independent directorate.
• 10th grade (2nd class gazetted) to diploma holders should be arranged for expeditious recruitment by creation of posts at proportional rate as per WHO policy, besides introducing deferred recruitment process of 2013 on priority basis.
• Graduate Medical Technologists and Pharmacists should be included in the Standard Set Up and Recruitment Rules and the Health Protection Act, retaining the proportional promotion rules for post-graduation employees of ninth grade.
• Dhaka Institute of Health Technology (IHT) should be converted into a university under the name "Bangladesh University of Medical Science and Technology" and the existing recruitment rules and inconsistent grades should be amended by formulating individual career plans for medical technologists and pharmacist teachers for the said university and all other IHTs.
• Providing professional license through formation of Medical Technology Council, formation of Diploma Medical Education Board and formulation of Private Service Policy.
• All faculties including B Pharm should introduce BSc OMSC courses and introduce training allowance with scholarships.

BDST: 1823 HRS, OCT 21, 2024
ESS/MSK/SMS