Additional nursing institutions to exploit an opportunity
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Md. Ashraf Hossain
BANGLADESH is an overpopulated country in to-day's world. Its economy is mainly agro-based. The contribution of its industry and service sectors to the gross domestic product(GDP), though increasing, is still not very significant. The agriculture sector is considered as being overburdened with excess manpower. In the western world there is an acute shortage of nurses in hospitals. They are recruiting nurses from the eastern countries to meet their shortage. It is estimated that in the coming years the shortage will further increase. We should look at this situation as an opportunity and should train our youths in professional nursing trade, for their employment in our medical hospitals and sending the rest ones to the western countries to earn their bread. A significant number of youths could get employment opportunities as nurses in the USA, England and other western countries.
They will be able to earn a decent remuneration and would be able to enjoy a good life. They will also be in a position to remitt valuable foreign currencies to their close relatives at home in Bangladesh. The country will be able to use those currencies to develop its economy for importing goods, services and technologies from foreign countries.
In the past, we did not give a proper emphasis on imparting professional education and training to our youths and could not, thus, develop them as skilled or semi-skilled manpower. If we look at our neighbour -- India, we can see that its technical, professional and business manpower have been working across the countries of the world. Non-resident Indians are remitting a huge amount of foreign currencies every year to India. The Indian currency has recently been getting stronger day by day. It is importing developed technology, equipment and raw materials and making industrial machinery by setting up related units in the country as well as exporting to other countries.
When we will be able to develop our men into manpower, the population will be a blessing for Bangladesh. But it will require sustained efforts for developing our human resources by imparting professional and technical education as well as training to them. Nursing is a decent profession in the advanced or developed countries. It is an honourable job and a source of good earning for the trainned personnel in this profession in such countries.
We would very much like the government to set up quality-wise more nursing institutions in the public hospitals where it is possible to do the same at greater ease. Along with professional trainning, facilities must be there for conducting oral English language courses for the larger benefit of the students.
BANGLADESH is an overpopulated country in to-day's world. Its economy is mainly agro-based. The contribution of its industry and service sectors to the gross domestic product(GDP), though increasing, is still not very significant. The agriculture sector is considered as being overburdened with excess manpower. In the western world there is an acute shortage of nurses in hospitals. They are recruiting nurses from the eastern countries to meet their shortage. It is estimated that in the coming years the shortage will further increase. We should look at this situation as an opportunity and should train our youths in professional nursing trade, for their employment in our medical hospitals and sending the rest ones to the western countries to earn their bread. A significant number of youths could get employment opportunities as nurses in the USA, England and other western countries.
They will be able to earn a decent remuneration and would be able to enjoy a good life. They will also be in a position to remitt valuable foreign currencies to their close relatives at home in Bangladesh. The country will be able to use those currencies to develop its economy for importing goods, services and technologies from foreign countries.
In the past, we did not give a proper emphasis on imparting professional education and training to our youths and could not, thus, develop them as skilled or semi-skilled manpower. If we look at our neighbour -- India, we can see that its technical, professional and business manpower have been working across the countries of the world. Non-resident Indians are remitting a huge amount of foreign currencies every year to India. The Indian currency has recently been getting stronger day by day. It is importing developed technology, equipment and raw materials and making industrial machinery by setting up related units in the country as well as exporting to other countries.
When we will be able to develop our men into manpower, the population will be a blessing for Bangladesh. But it will require sustained efforts for developing our human resources by imparting professional and technical education as well as training to them. Nursing is a decent profession in the advanced or developed countries. It is an honourable job and a source of good earning for the trainned personnel in this profession in such countries.
We would very much like the government to set up quality-wise more nursing institutions in the public hospitals where it is possible to do the same at greater ease. Along with professional trainning, facilities must be there for conducting oral English language courses for the larger benefit of the students.