Diplomatic Correspondent

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen emphasized the need for bolstering Bangladesh-UK health sector collaboration.

“It is very crucial to bolster Bangladesh-UK health sector collaboration, especially digitisation of Bangladesh’s health sector and skill development of Bangladeshi young doctors,” he made the comments when UK's Minister for Health and Secondary Care Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson CBE MP called on him at the House of Commons yesterday.

Samanta stressed the need for reintroduction of the Overseas Doctors Training Scheme now known as Medical Training Initiative (MTI) for Bangladeshi doctors for further improvement in the health sector of Bangladesh, an official release said today.

He also highlighted the importance of collaboration between the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) and different British Royal Colleges. Minister Sen urged the British Minister to recruit more caregivers, nurses, and midwives from
Bangladesh.

Minister Andrew Stephenson assured Sen ofhelping Bangladesh in every way to digitise
Bangladesh's health sector, which will be mutuallybeneficial for both the countries.

Stephenson also suggested Samamata Lal tokeep the UK Health Department updated whenBangladesh is removed from the WHO's red list sothat the UK can start recruiting qualified nursesfrom Bangladesh.

Samanta invited Stephenson to visitBangladesh at the earliest convenience.
Dr Samanta also met with the UK's ShadowHealth Secretary Wes Streeting MP at his House ofCommons office on Monday. They discussedexploring various avenues to strengthenBangladesh-UK collaborations in the health sector.

Praising the contributions of Bangladeshidoctors to the NHS, Shadow Health Secretary WesStreeting assured his full support to implement themutually beneficial proposals placed by theBangladesh Health Minister.

The Health Minister on Tuesday visited the‘Bangabandhu Centenary Peace Grove’ establishedby the Bangladesh High Commission, London incollaboration with the London Borough of Brent atGladstone Park in London.

Paying deep tribute to Bangladesh’s FoundingFather Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he watered one of the hundred trees planted there to commemorate the historic Mujib Year, the birth centenary of Bangabandhu.

Later, he paid homage to Bangabandhu by laying a wreath at his statue in east London while recalling the significant contribution of British Bengalis to the 1971 War of Independence.

In the evening, the Minister visited a PG surgery in London and exchanged views with GPs to understand the UK’s primary healthcare services and referral system. He also discussed how Bangladesh could introduce a similar referral system to streamline its healthcare services.

Health Minister Dr Samanta Lal is currently in the UK on an official visit to attend the Conference on “International Response to Antimicrobial Resistance,” organised by the UK Government and the Royal Society.