A medical college without campus

Netrakona Medical College, which began its journey in 2019 with 50 students, has been failing to ensure sufficient teachers, classrooms, labs, and accommodation facilities for students over the last four years.

The college has been "temporarily" using rooms in Netrakona General Hospital since its inception. Simultaneously, 30 out of 75 teacher posts are vacant at present and there are no posts for a registrar or an assistant registrar to help guide students.

Among the 237 students currently enrolled, third and fourth year students are suffering the most, as their clinical classes are being hampered.

According to teachers, students need to take clinical classes in medicine, cardiology, paediatrics, thoracic surgery, ENT, ophthalmology, anaesthesia, and obstetrics, under the guidance of doctors in hospital wards, for the final one and a half year of their five-year-programme.

Students in their final year are expected to complete their final exams by November next year, but have not been able to start their clinical classes yet.

Classes are being held at the hospital as the 100-bed facility receives fewer patients due to its limited resources.

However, the lack of resources is significantly hampering academics, as for a medical student, practical learnings are as important as theories, if not more.

Many students said the hospital does not have modern and upgraded facilities, which further adds to their woes.

"About 80 percent of medical education is practical, and without clinical classes, students will not qualify as doctors," said Rafiqul Islam, assistant professor of orthosurgery department.

Prof Shyamal Kumar Paul, principal of the college, denied the criticism and said they had introduced an "integrated teaching method" to support students.

"A 25-acre site in Sadar's Mauje Bali area has been selected for a permanent campus, and a proposal was sent to the ministry concerned in May this year. However, the proposal has not been approved yet," he added.