The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a three-year programme to train plastic surgeons, anaesthesiologists, nurses and physiotherapists from burn and plastic surgery departments of different public hospitals across the country.

The ministry and Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (SHNIBPS) is implementing the programme with sponsorship from Temasek Foundation International and technical support from Singapore Health Services (SingHealth).

Under the first phase of the programme, a five-day “training of trainers (TOT)” started on April 8 to train 32 plastic surgeons, 46 nurses and seven physiotherapists from burn and plastic surgery departments of different public hospitals all over the country.

A total of 17 plastic surgeons, anaesthesiologists, nurses and therapists from SingHealth are conducting training to the Bangladeshi trainees.

Around 300 plastic surgeons will be trained under this three-year-long project with the goal to introduce local experts with modern equipment so they are able to deliver world class burn care.

“This training will develop knowledge and capacity of our nurses, but it is important to keep these nurses at burn care. If they are transferred to other places, the training will go in vain,” said Samanta Lal Sen, national coordinator for burn and plastic surgery project all over Bangladesh under SHNIBPS.

Chong Si Jack, leader of the trainer team and consultant plastic surgeon at SingHealth, said he did not witness such large number of burn patients in Singapore, where on an average 200 patients are annually given treatment in hospitals.

On the contrary, over 200 patients are admitted each month with burn injuries at Burn and Plastic Surgery Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) -- which is beyond the capacity of the department, he observed.

“Resources, however, at the DMCH are very low,” Chong said, adding that “No matter how good the doctors are, burn surgeons will not be able to provide quality service if resources are low.”

Dr Samanta Lal Sen said he is hopeful that this project with services provided by the SHNIBPS will bring a significant change to burn care in the country.