Ad-din Students Face Uncertainty Over Academic Future

Under existing laws, private medical colleges are required to have affiliated hospitals. Following the cancellation of Ad-din Hospital’s license, concerns have grown not only over patient care but also over the academic future of students linked with the institution’s medical college. Foreign students enrolled at the college are facing the greatest uncertainty regarding their education and career prospects.

On May 27, a day before Eid-ul-Azha, six infants died in the post-operative room of Ad-din Hospital. A Health Department investigation found evidence of negligence by the authorities, concluding that the deaths occurred due to oxygen shortage after the air conditioning system remained switched off for an extended period. The government revoked the hospital’s license on June 11.

The decision has left students of Ad-din Women’s Medical College, run by the same foundation, in uncertainty. Although the college’s license has not been revoked, its internship program has been disrupted due to the hospital’s closure. The institution currently has 84 intern doctors and a total of 646 students enrolled since its establishment in 2008.

Students said they chose the institution after careful consideration, and many are now close to completing their studies or already undergoing internships. They previously had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience at their own teaching hospital under the supervision of their instructors, which has now been suspended. They warned that if the hospital remains permanently closed, their academic progress will be seriously affected, and adapting to other hospitals may be difficult with limited practical training opportunities.

Foreign Students Under Pressure

Foreign students are the most affected by the hospital’s license cancellation. The medical college has 209 foreign students, all of whom are Indian nationals, according to the administration.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one Indian student said, “If MBBS is completed in one hospital but the internship is conducted in another, it will not be approved under our country’s regulations. I am therefore uncertain about my future. I have completed up to the fourth year in Bangladesh, and restarting my studies in India is not possible.”

The student added that they intend to return to their home country after completing their studies. Another student said, “When I came to study here, I enrolled on the condition that both my MBBS studies and internship would be completed in the same hospital. I hope the government will consider our situation and the risks to our careers.”

According to India’s National Medical Commission’s Foreign Medical Graduate Licensing and Registration Regulations 2021, every foreign medical graduate must complete a minimum 12-month internship in the same institution. The regulations require students to complete their entire course and internship in an uninterrupted manner at a single institution, and internships conducted elsewhere may not be recognized by Indian authorities.

Meanwhile, under Bangladesh’s Private Medical College and Dental College Act 2022, private medical colleges are required to have a minimum 250-bed hospital to ensure hands-on clinical training for students, who undergo internships after completing their MBBS degrees.

However, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said on Monday that although Ad-din Hospital has been closed, Ad-din Women’s Medical College has not been shut down. He said students may conduct practical training at other hospitals, adding that the government has taken a strict decision due to what he described as inhumane services.

Additional Director General (Medical Education) of the Directorate General of Health Education, Professor Rubina Yasmin, told Agamir Somoy that the college authority has been asked in writing to explain how academic activities will continue at Ad-din Women’s Medical College. She said no response has been received yet, and further decisions will be taken after receiving their reply.

Director of Company Affairs of Ad-din Foundation, Tariqul Islam Mukul, said the organization has already sent a letter to the Ministry of Health and will submit further communication detailing the students’ concerns. He expressed hope that the government will consider the future of the students while making its decision, and added that renovation work is underway to address the hospital’s shortcomings.