Staff Reporter : The introduction of the automated admission process has created chaos in the country’s private medical colleges. Automation is a very complex and long process. In this long-term process, students seeking admission are being deprived of the opportunity to get admitted to the medical college of their choice. As a result, students are losing interest in medical admission. They are being discouraged from entering a noble profession like the medical profession. Students and guardians seeking admission are disappointed and aggrieved by this. Many seats in private medical colleges are remaining vacant due to the automated admission process. Conscious guardians and the Bangladesh Private Medical College Association have claimed that there is a conspiracy to destroy the private medical sector in the name of automation. As a result, they have demanded the cancellation of the automated admission process.
The Bangladesh Private Medical College Association has said that a total of 467 seats are vacant in the current 2024-25 academic year. Many private medical colleges have reached the brink of collapse due to losses due to lack of students. They say that due to automation, it is taking four to six months to get admission in private medical colleges. Although the automation system was introduced in the 2022-23 academic year, no opinion was taken from the private medical college authorities or medical experts. After the introduction of automation, 217 seats were vacant in the 2022-23 academic year and 142 seats were vacant in the 2023-24 academic year. Before the introduction of the automation system, no seats were vacant in any private medical college in the country.
Students in private medical colleges study with their own funds, but those students are not evaluated favorably. Due to this, students are losing interest in studying in private medical colleges. The Bangladesh Private Medical College Association authorities have alleged that not only domestic students, but also foreign students are turning away from medical education in Bangladesh due to the complexity of automation. Guardians claim that the rights of guardians and students are being taken away in the name of automation.
On the other hand, parents say, they spend the money, the government decides the choice – this cannot be. Due to automation, many are not able to get admission in the college of their choice even though they have the money. If the automation system is canceled and the previous system is returned, it will benefit the students and the college authorities.
The authorities of the Private Medical College Association have alleged that in addition to all this, the Private Medical College Recognition Committee (BM&DC, Department of Health Education, various universities) is creating trouble in the name of inspecting private medical colleges separately. The trouble cannot be resolved without paying bribes to them, and in the end, bribes have to be paid.
Private medical colleges are also complaining that the dropout rate of students is increasing due to automation. As the preference of students in the list of ‘ desirable to be admitted ‘ prepared by the Directorate General of Health Services is not given importance, many end up not completing the MBBS course and drop out. For example, students who grow up in the capital prefer to stay in the capital. But those who are forced to move to villages outside Dhaka often drop out. Apart from that, many drop out because their preferences are ignored and they cannot adapt in the end.
Besides, private medical authorities allege that there are two policies in one country in the medical education sector. Army medical colleges are outside automation. They are running medical colleges outside government policies. Therefore, private medical colleges are being discriminated against in the name of automation. And although private medical colleges are established with private investment, the government is creating obstacles instead of patronizing this sector. Suddenly, private medical college authorities are worried and alarmed by government policies. A blueprint has been made to destroy the private medical college sector in the name of automation. This is discouraging investors in the private health education sector.
A blueprint has been drawn to destroy the private medical college sector. It should be remembered that it is difficult to build an institution, but easy to destroy. Students who pass the exam in the private sector will get admission as per their choice. But due to automation, they are not able to do so. Everyone including students and parents are disappointed in this. Automation is like letting them swim in water with their hands and feet tied. Due to which students are being discouraged from coming to this profession. An attempt is being made to destroy this sector in the name of automation.
Private medical college authorities say that due to vacant seats, merit lists were sent 4 to 6 times in the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years, but many did not get admission in their preferred colleges. Apart from this, many students have left without pursuing medical studies due to procedural complications. Even after being in the poor and meritorious quota without paying any fees, many have not completed their education without getting a college of their choice. Due to the introduction of automation, classes have also had to start late. Even after publishing merit lists several times, seats remain vacant. Again, many students who were admitted due to these repeated publishing of merit lists are leaving elsewhere. Foreign students are also not getting admission in private medical colleges in Bangladesh as before. Up until the 2021-22 academic year, 45 percent of the seats for foreign students were filled. But 25 percent of the seats for foreign students are vacant in the 2022-23 academic year, 22 percent in the 2023-24 academic year, and 23 percent in the 2024-25 academic year. As a result, the government is not getting the desired foreign exchange in the private medical education sector.
Bangladesh Private Medical College Association President Dr. Sheikh Mohiuddin said, the contribution of the private sector in the country’s health education is immense. But the government is creating obstacles by creating new policies instead of focusing on facilitating private health education. Ignoring the opinions of investors and medical experts in the private health education sector, the government has introduced automation in admissions to private medical colleges.
He also said that automation is a complex process. Which is not friendly to the students seeking admission. Due to this, students are losing interest in taking admission in medical colleges. For example, students from Chittagong do not want to go to Barisal and take admission in a private medical college. Most of the people seeking admission in private medical colleges are from rich families. They want to take admission in the medical college of their choice. Obstacles are being created in the admission of students in private medical colleges in the name of automation. Therefore, it is necessary to stop the automation process now to save private medical colleges from destruction.