Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday directed the authorities concerned to maintain the standard of education in the country’s medical colleges for building quality physicians.

‘We’ve set up many medical colleges…but they need to maintain the quality of education. They’ve to look into the matter whether their students are going to be physicians of killing people or saving them,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this ahead of the handover the keys of ambulances to 98 government hospitals, upazila health complexes and health institutions at a simple ceremony at her office in Dhaka.

Mentioning that internet services are now available across the country, the PM said it will be fruitful if the students of the medical colleges can follow the classes and lectures of quality colleges through the internet.

She said foreign expert physicians should be allowed to deliver lectures in the country’s medical institutions so that local doctors can gather experiences staying with them. ‘If that can be done, our patients will not require to go abroad for medical treatment.’

Sheikh Hasina criticized government physicals for their lack of willingness to stay at hospitals local in the country’s remote areas.

‘When we appoint new doctors, and give them posting at the upazila-level hospitals, they don’t stay there. This problem appears in case of government jobs. Whenever we post them, they somehow manage to return to or stay in Dhaka.’

She said If they leave in this way (from remote hospitals), they don’t need to continue the job. They can earn huge money if they carry out private practice staying in Dhaka. They may quit their jobs. Then, we’ll go for new recruitment.’

About the ambulances, Hasina asked the Health Ministry to create a maintenance fund during the formulation of the ministry’s annual budget so that minor repair works of those can be done timely.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim and State Minister Zahid Maleque also spoke on the occasion, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mazammel Huq, Prime Minister’s Adviser HT Imam and State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Narayan Chandra Chanda present on the occasion.

Later, Sheikh Hasina formally handed over the dummy keys of the seven ambulances to the authorities concerned of the hospitals and institutions.