AIIMS doctor gets fellowship from Bangla medical institution

New Delhi : A doctor at AIIMS has been awarded the prestigious honorary fellowship of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) for his contribution to growth of medical education and healthcare in that country.

Dr Ashutosh Biswas, Professor of Medicine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), was presented the fellowship recently by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a function held in Dhaka.

"It is an honour to receive this fellowship from Bangaldesh for rendering services to our neighbouring country. A doctor from Malaysia from the department of surgery also was awarded the international fellowship," Dr Biswas said.

"Besides honorary international fellowships, national fellowships were also awarded. It is a very difficult examination and only 4-5 candidates clear it, sometimes after multiple attempts. It is the Bangladeshi equivalent of the UK's FRCS, FRCP," he said.

Established in 1972 by former Bangladesh President Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, BCPS is one of the prestigious medical institutions that has been a pioneer in developing post-graduate medical education and training in that country.

The AIIMS doctor said Bangladesh has been partnering with doctors from various countries to share their expertise with their doctors for bettering the healthcare system.

"Bangladesh is in the right track and international collaboration is taking it a step further," he said.

As part of a collaborative exchange programme between India and Bangladesh, Biswas was nominated by the Government of India to support Bangladesh in popularising and improving the standard of medical education and healthcare system in that country.

Dr Biswas is a specialist in preventive medicines relating to infectious diseases like vector-borne diseases, and HIV, and alongside experts from the UK, Singapore, Malaysia and China, has suggested ways and means to improve the medical examination system in Bangladesh.