Classes from January 10

Nilphamari Medical College has started its academic activities on the ground floor of the  250-bed Sadar Hospital in the district town.

A total of 44 students from the national merit list have been enrolled to the medical college up to October 23, while six more seats will be filled up later from the waiting list.

Minister for Health and Family Planning Mohammad Nasim announced on August 26 that the prime minister had given final recommendation to set up five new medical colleges in Nilphamari, Chandpur, Naogaon, Netrakona and Magura , alongside the 31 existing government medical colleges.

After the announcement, the health ministry started functioning of the new medical college by admitting students from this session.

Dr Md Rabiul Islam Shah, head of the department of anatomy in Khulna Medical College, was appointed the first principal of Nilphamari Medical College on September 20. Dr Rabiul is conducting all administrative activities from his temporary office at the Sadar Hospital building.

“Classes of the first batch will start from January 10 and at least three teachers having rank of assistant professor and associate professor on anatomy, physiology and bio-chemistry will be appointed soon,” Dr Rabiul said.

“We also need nine lecturers for first-year classes, including tutorial, practical and dissection. A few doctors of Nilphamari 100-bed Modernised Hospital have agreed to take classes as lecturers until appointment of regular lecturers,” he said.

“At least 10 classrooms and two hall rooms are necessary to run classes. If there is any problem in the 250-bed hospital, the medical college may be shifted to newly constructed three-storey extension building of the local diabetes hospital at Polashbari village. The authorities have offered us to use it without rent,” the principal added.

The second floor of the diabetic hospital will be used as a male students' hostel and local guest house of foreign NGO Danish-Bangladesh Leprosy Mission as a girls' hostel, he added.

Nilphamari Civil Surgeon Ranjit Kumar Barman said his office handed over 30 acres of land at Polashbari to the authorities concerned to build the medical college and hospital complex buildings.

Tender will be called in December to start construction of the complex, he added.