Nursing colleges are struggling amid poor oversight

We are concerned at the way private nursing colleges are mushrooming in the capital without following the rules set by the government. According to a recent report, there are around 50 such colleges in four areas of Dhaka alone – Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi and Moghbazar. Most of them do not have the necessary infrastructure such as academic buildings, hostels for students, required number of teachers, or adequate learning materials. While, as per rules, a college should have its own hospital (consisting of 100 beds) or at least an arrangement with a hospital where its students can practice, only a handful of colleges currently have such facilities. For instance, out of 10 nursing institutions in Mirpur, only two have their own hospitals. Moreover, often their student evaluation systems are also problematic.

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The question is: why did the Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council (BNMC) register these colleges without ensuring the capability expected of them? How are they still operational when they cannot even meet the basic needs of students and are failing to abide by the relevant law passed in 2015? Clearly, most of them are being run purely for commercial purposes. There are allegations that some BNMC officials have been giving approval to substandard institutions in exchange for money. Reportedly, there is also a syndicate working behind this.

Over the past two decades, nursing degrees have become quite popular in Bangladesh because of the increasing job opportunities for nurses in many private hospitals and clinics. Students are enrolling in these colleges with high hopes, but they seldom get the learning environment essential for becoming a good nurse. That is why, 80 percent of the students failed in the recently held nursing licensing examination, which is mandatory for all nursing and midwifery degree holders to enter their professional life.

We, therefore, urge the government to take action against the nursing institutions operating without proper facilities. If needed, the authorities should consider cancelling their registration. Only institutions that meet all necessary requirements to enroll and properly educate students should be allowed to run their activities.