Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said her government is working to upgrade nurses training standard to an international level to meet growing demand of specialized nurses in home and abroad, reports BSS.
“We are working to upgrade the training system for the nurses to an international level,” she said while speaking as the chief guest at a certificate giving ceremony among the pioneering graduates of the Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialized Hospital and Nursing College in Gazipur.
The prime minister said “We need a large number of nurses. We have built nursing institutes for which specialised nurses are required. And for this, we need to give quality training to them. We have already sent nurses abroad for taking foreign training and are working to make sure they get international level training.”
Sheikh Rehana, Vice President of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust and younger daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was present on the occasion as the special guest. The premier however said the certificate distribution ceremony among the first graduates from such an international level organisation will also encourage the boys and girls of the country to join this profession.
Describing healthcare service as a noble profession, she said “I hoped that you (fresh graduating nurses), who achieved the certificates through hard working, will engage yourselves in rendering services to the distressed people by applying your acquired knowledge and experience.”
Spelling out her government’s initiative to develop graduate and post-graduate nurses, the prime minister said all nurses have to take care of the patients more sincerely as the government has given them honour and elevated their status. “Once upon a time the nursing profession was mostly neglected despite it is a noble profession, but, the Awami League government has upgraded the status of nurses to second class and increased their salaries in a bid to encourage people joining the profession,” she said.
The premier also distributed certificates among all the graduates and Prime Minister’s Award among Rubina Jesmin of the 2014-15 session student and post basic students Kamrun Nahar (2014-15 session) and Rina Akhter (2016-17 session) for their educational excellence. As many as 79 students including 57 post basic students have completed their graduation as the pioneering batch from the college. Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque was on the dais.
Prof Dr Dato’ Lokman Saim, Vice-Chancellor and Dean of School of Medicine of the KPJ Healthcare University College in Malaysia addressed the function as graduation speaker while Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital and Nursing College Prof Taufik Bin Ismail gave welcome address. Khairul Islam, one of the students of 2014-15 session of the college, also spoke on the occasion on behalf of the graduates.
The nursing college students also performed dance with a welcome song at the function. The premier later joined a photo session with the pioneering graduates of the nursing college. Energypac Limited later handed over keys of two ambulances to the Prime Minister for the college.
