The University of Bangabandhu Shekh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Dhaka in Bangladesh has recently approved the proposal for medical residency programme in Palliative Medicine. This approval was preceded by approvals of the surgical faculty which took the initiative to draft the curriculum. This is an important milestone for the country, as the approval confirms that that palliative medicine has become a recognised specialty in Bangladesh.
Prof Dr Nezamuddin Ahmad from Bangladesh is pleased with this outcome and on behalf of the Univesity she would like to thank everyone for their suggestions and active participation in the development of this curriculum for the medical residency programme in Palliative Medicine. A special thank you is dedicated to the three workshops organized in April, September and December of 2013 with the support of the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Program (HEQEP) of the University Grant Commission (UGC) which greatly helped the development of the curriculum. The valuable suggestions and active participation drafting the curriculum by the attendees greatly helped us complete this task today. The University would like to sincerely thank all of those who participated and contributed to achieving this milestone.
On behalf of the Centre for Palliative Care, the University of Bangabandhu Shekh Mujib Medical University Dhaka look forward to your continued support in the future and welcoming the first set of M. D Residents in Palliative Medicine.
The ehospice has also published an article on the Palliative Medicine Residency in Bangladesh. In the article, Prof Dr Nezamuddin Ahmad also mentioned that this will be a “turning point for palliative care in Bangladesh”.
The exerpt below originally appeared on ehospice article “WHPCA partner celebrates new Palliative Medicine residency in Bangladesh”
“Specialty recognition can be seen as a turning point in the evolution of the palliative care movement of a country. A residency program will allow us to develop a core group of specialists with expertise in palliative care in Bangladesh. This will raise the profile and awareness among physicians about palliative medicine as an emerging and vital discipline.
Additionally, it is estimated that 600 000 patients in Bangladesh require palliative care at any point in time, so there is an urgent need to train more health care professionals in this field.
These specialists will be the leaders, mentors and trainers for the large number of nurses, support workers and other health care providers who are needed to care for this large number of patients. Besides, this should have an overall impact on other spheres of palliative care development.”..read more