Proposed medical varsity in Ctg faces opposition

 CHITTAGONG, Apr 18: A move to turn Chittagong Medical College into medical university is facing stiff opposition from different quarters including employees, nurses and doctors in Chittagong.
The employees and nurses staged demonstration, formed human chain and observed work abstention against the government move to turn the college into a university in March last following announcement to this end by Health Minister Md Nasim.
They fear that many will lose their jobs as the university will be run under an autonomous entity. Secondly, free health treatment, tests and medical facilities now being provided to the poor patients will no longer remain in force once it turns into an autonomous body under the university act.

Recently, Chattagram Jonoswasthya Odhikar Raksha Sangram Parishad (CJORSP), a non-government organisation of the professionals in the city, has started public motivation and opinion forming programmes against the proposed medical university.
Health Minister Md Nasim announced in a public rally at Laldighi Maidan in the city on March 11 that Chittagong Medical College will be turned to Chittagong Medical University to improve health services to the people of this locality.
Basically the move was initiated in the year 2011 when the then health minister announced so at a reception meeting of Bangladesh Medical Association Chittagong unit on the college campus.
While addressing a party-organised rally at Laldighi Md Nasim said that work of turning the medical college into medical university has started.
"I hereby announce that not a single employee or staff nurse will lose her or his job if the college turns into a university," he said in the meeting chaired by ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, president of Chittagong Medical University Implementation Council and also president of the Awami League city unit.
The minister further said that all medical colleges of Chittagong division will come under the country's second medical university. Relating to the workers' movement against the move Nasim said he knew who were acting from behind the scene.
"Those who are instigating people against this august move are known to all. Their intentions will never be fulfilled. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fulfils what she says. There is no power that can stop it. I will urge the people not to give ear to what they say," he said.
Meanwhile, convener of CJORSP Dr Mahfuzur Rahman said in the name of setting up a medical university in Chittagong the government has announced to turn the medical college into a university.
"If this move comes true, it will be the centre of a very small selfish quarter while the services provided now to the common people will be at stake."
He said it is an evil attempt of the government to privatise the hospital which gives free medical health care and services to millions of people of not only Chittagong but also of three Chittagong hill districts, Noakhali and Comilla districts. It is the only place of modern treatment without cost for the poor people who cannot afford to get themselves admitted to the high-cost clinics.
"The government has never said that the hospital will not be brought under the university when the employees and nurses of the Chittagong Medical College Hospital staged demonstration against the proposed university," he said adding that there is no circular to this end until today.
In the proposal of turning the college into a university it was stated clearly that Chittagong Medical College will be turned into a university and the university authority will administer the hospital. The authority will also fix up and realise the fees of the medical college and hospital, as is stated in the proposal, he said.
The most disastrous side of the move is that the patients of the intensive care units (ICUs) will have to pay Tk 11,000 a day instead of Tk 100 a day and the patients for each operation will have to pay Tk 8,000 which they are now getting free of cost.
These charges are being imposed against the poor patients in the Bangladesh Medical University, country's lone medical university in the public sector, Dr Mahfuz, also a valiant freedom fighter, said.