‘Fake Doctor Factories’ Must Be Shut Down: Health State Minister Warns Substandard Private Medical Colleges

Health and Family Welfare State Minister Dr. Md. A. Muhit has issued a stern warning that substandard private medical colleges operating as “fake doctor factories” will be shut down.

On Saturday (28 March), the state minister suddenly visited the Secretariat on a holiday and reviewed files related to private medical colleges. Later, in a three-minute video message, he highlighted various irregularities and issued the warning.

In the video, Dr. Muhit said: “We have come to the office on this holiday so that we can carefully review the files and work on them. The files you see here today are all related to various private medical colleges. While reviewing these files, I have newly realised a very urgent and important public issue. Many of the private medical colleges in Bangladesh are of very high standard and are doing excellent work in producing properly trained doctors. But, unfortunately, I have found some medical colleges that do not care even a bit about rules and regulations.”

He added: “There are minimum standards that a medical college must meet to function properly. Despite being told year after year, many have paid no attention and have instead grown like business enterprises across the country.

Some of these colleges do not even have their own land documents, or the documents are not visible. They also lack the required permanent deposit. Many of these medical colleges do not have approval from the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC). They have no hospital and no patients. So, how will the students admitted there become proper doctors?”

Pointing out that students admitted to these colleges are being deceived, the state minister said: “Their parents are spending their dreams and hard-earned money and are being cheated. Ultimately, the public will be the ones deceived. If some people graduate as doctors from these places, they will have no minimum training and no opportunity to learn practical skills. The lives of our people will be unsafe in the hands of such doctors.”

Dr. Muhit believes every private medical college must meet a “minimum standard” and follow government rules and regulations. He said: “Every child who dreams of becoming a doctor and gets admitted there must receive proper training with adequate hospital facilities, manpower, and patients. If that is not the case, just as we are trying to shut down fake doctors, fake nurses, and fake clinics, we will also have to close these fake doctor factories in the interest of public safety and public health.”

In the video message, the state minister sought the support of the people. Dr. Md. A. Muhit said: “Please pray for us. We, this government, are working tirelessly to build a Bangladesh of rules from a Bangladesh of irregularities and to create a Bangladesh of good health. We need your support. Only then will we be victorious.”