Three entities under Health Ministry to be strengthened

The government has presented a major development initiative aimed at strengthening the operational capacity, administrative efficiency, and educational quality of three key government agencies under the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division.

A development project, titled “Integrated Development of Operational Management of Directorate General of Medical Education, NIPORT and Directorate General of Nursing & Midwifery”, has already been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in its last meeting.

The project, to be implemented from July 2025 to June 2026, carries a total estimated cost of Tk 2.12 billion, entirely funded through Government of Bangladesh (GoB) resources.

The implementing agencies are the Directorate General of Medical Health Education; the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT); and the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery.

These three key institutions play a critical role in medical, nursing, midwifery and population-related training, research, education management and service delivery.

According to the project proposal, the overarching objective is to ensure the smooth completion of essential activities under the recently concluded 4th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Program (HPNSP). These activities will be mainstreamed into the regular operations of the respective departments, ensuring sustainable institutionalisation within the core structure of national health administration.

A Planning Commission official said that the specific objectives include gradually phasing out from the sector-wide operational plan of the 4th HPNSP program and integrating key essential activities into the core administrative framework of the health sector. This process involves continuing urgent ongoing activities deemed vital for maintaining progress in health education and population services.

Another major component of the project is the enhancement of medical, nursing and midwifery education through the renovation of simulation laboratories, development of specialised software modules, introduction of hands-on practical training, and procurement of modern educational and teaching tools.

“These interventions aim to raise the standard of skill-based learning, improve clinical competencies among students, and modernise training methodologies,” added the official.

To ensure transparency and efficiency in education administration, the project will support the development of online student information management systems, updated training curricula, e-library initiatives and digital content-based platforms. These technologies are expected to strengthen admission management, digital registration, online training delivery, monitoring, and academic record keeping.

The project will also introduce modern digital registry mechanisms in hostels, offices, laboratories, hospitals and other units. Integrated systems for seat allocation, fee payment, utility bill settlement and coordinated administrative operations are expected to significantly improve overall management efficiency.

According to the proposal, these technological improvements will help reduce administrative bottlenecks, enhance hospital management practices and strengthen monitoring and accountability mechanisms.

The project activities will be implemented across all eight administrative divisions—Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, Rangpur and Mymensingh. The initiative covers government medical colleges, government dental colleges/units, Institutes of Health Technology (IHT) and Medical Assistant Training Schools (MATS) under the Directorate General of Medical Education.

For NIPORT, the project covers 14 Regional Population Training Institutes situated across selected districts. Meanwhile, activities under the Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery will cover government hospitals, government BSc in Nursing Colleges, and government Diploma Nursing Institutes located nationwide.

The project includes 940 training batches with an allocation of Tk 648.5 million; procurement of 849 pieces of medical equipment worth Tk 550 million; 14 research activities with a budget of Tk 200 million; and 2,397 pieces of educational materials worth Tk 177.5 million. Additionally, 2,696 pieces of furniture, software development allocations, surgical instruments, and other logistic and operational expenditures are included.

A 1% price contingency of Tk 20.9 million has been added, bringing the total cost to Tk 2.12 billion.

At the PEC meeting held on 8 September 2025, the Planning Commission noted that the project would contribute significantly to improving health, population and nutrition-related education and quality service delivery. The Commission recommended appointing a skilled and experienced full-time Project Director to ensure efficient implementation.

The project, fully funded by the government, is expected to accelerate the national agenda of strengthening human resource development in medical, nursing and midwifery professions—ultimately contributing to improved health outcomes, population management and service quality across Bangladesh.