Health minister for strengthening Bangladesh-UK health sector cooperation
It is very crucial to bolster Bangladesh-UK health sector collaboration, especially digitisation of Bangladesh’s health sector and skill development of Bangladeshi young doctors, he said
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen emphasised the need for bolstering Bangladesh-UK health sector collaboration.
"It is very crucial to bolster Bangladesh-UK health sector collaboration, especially digitisation of Bangladesh's health sector and skill development of Bangladeshi young doctors," he made the comments when UK's Minister for Health and Secondary Care Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson CBE MP called on him at the House of Commons on Wednesday (15 May).
Samanta stressed the need for reintroduction of the Overseas Doctors Training Scheme now known as Medical Training Initiative (MTI) for Bangladeshi doctors for further improvement in the health sector of Bangladesh, reads a press release on Thursday.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
He also highlighted the importance of collaboration between the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) and different British Royal Colleges. Minister Sen urged the British Minister to recruit more caregivers, nurses, and midwives from Bangladesh.
Minister Andrew Stephenson assured Sen of helping Bangladesh in every way to digitise Bangladesh's health sector, which will be mutually beneficial for both countries.
Stephenson also suggested Samamata Lal to keep the UK Health Department updated when Bangladesh is removed from the WHO's red list so that the UK can start recruiting qualified nurses from Bangladesh.
Samanta invited Stephenson to visit Bangladesh at the earliest convenience.
The health minister also met with the UK's Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP at his House of Commons office on Monday. They discussed exploring various avenues to strengthen Bangladesh-UK collaborations in the health sector.
Praising the contributions of Bangladeshi doctors to the NHS, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting assured his full support to implement the mutually beneficial proposals placed by the Bangladesh health minister.
The health minister on Tuesday visited the "Bangabandhu Centenary Peace Grove" established by the Bangladesh High Commission, London in collaboration with the London Borough of Brent at Gladstone Park in London.
Paying deep tribute to Bangladesh's Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he watered one of the hundred trees planted there to commemorate the historic Mujib Year, the birth centenary of Bangabandhu.
Later, he paid homage to Bangabandhu by laying a wreath at his statue in east London while recalling the significant contribution of British Bengalis to the 1971 War of Independence.
In the evening, the Minister visited a PG surgery in London and exchanged views with GPs
to understand the UK's primary healthcare services and referral system. He also discussed how Bangladesh could introduce a similar referral system to streamline its healthcare services.
Samanta Lal is currently in the UK on an official visit to attend the Conference on "International Response to Antimicrobial Resistance," organised by the UK Government and the Royal Society.
