DHAKA, Jan 8, 2023 (BSS) - The 'Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council (amendment) Bill-2023 was placed in the Jatiya Sangsad today with a view to bringing an amendment to the previous act.
 
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Malek placed the bill in the House with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
 
While placing the bill, the health minister said the bill has been proposed bringing an amendment to the act titled 'Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council Bill -2016'.
 
After placing the proposed law, Malek proposed sending the bill to the parliamentary standing committee on the respective ministry for scrutiny and submitting it before the House within the next two weeks.
 
Earlier, the 'Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council Bill, 2016' had been enacted with a provision of forming a council for the registration of professionals having degrees in nursing, midwifery and related professions.

Similar to the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC), he said, the Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council would give recognition to the education, training and qualification of the nursing and midwifery professionals.
 
The proposed law was formulated to replace the Bangladesh Nursing Ordinance, 1983, according to the draft of the bill, adding that it was placed in a more expanded outline including midwifery as well as translating it into Bangla as per the earlier directives of the Supreme Court declaring all the Martial Law regime ordinances illegal.
 
Elaborating on the salient features of the draft law, he said, any person willing to use his or her degrees in midwifery education and nursing like a nursing diploma and postgraduate in nursing received from any institution at home and abroad must be recognised by the council.
 
As per the draft law, he said, taking up the profession of nursing, midwifery and their related professions would be prohibited without registration with the council.
 
According to the draft of the bill, anyone taking up the profession of nursing and midwifery without a valid registration will have to face a maximum of three years of imprisonment or a maximum Tk one lakh fine or both.
 
 
 
The registration of nurses, midwives or related professionals violating the specific rules and policies by their conduct will be cancelled and their names will be withdrawn from the council register.
 
The draft law mentioned that any aggrieved person could appeal before the government through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare within 30 days of the cancellation of the registration by the Council.
 
For giving false designation of nursing, midwifery and related profession, the person concerned will have to face maximum of one-year imprisonment or a maximum Tk 50,000 fine.