London, May 16, 2024 (BSS) - 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 of
helping Bangladesh in every way to digitise
Bangladesh's health sector, which will be mutually
beneficial for both the countries.

     Stephenson also suggested Samamata Lal to
keep the UK Health Department updated when
Bangladesh is removed from the WHO's red list so
that the UK can start recruiting qualified nurses
from Bangladesh.

    Samanta invited Stephenson to visit
Bangladesh at the earliest convenience.
    Dr Samanta also met with the UK's Shadow
Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP at his House of
Commons office on Monday. They discussed
exploring various avenues to strengthen
Bangladesh-UK collaborations in the health sector.

    Praising the contributions of Bangladeshi
doctors to the NHS, Shadow Health Secretary Wes
Streeting assured his full support to implement the
mutually beneficial proposals placed by the
Bangladesh Health Minister.

    The Health Minister on Tuesday visited the
‘Bangabandhu Centenary Peace Grove’ established
by the Bangladesh High Commission, London in
collaboration with the London Borough of Brent at
Gladstone Park in London.
    
     Paying deep tribute to Bangladesh’s Founding
Father 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.