Dr. Nazmul Huda Hosts Guests on Radio Program

In 2014, Dr. Nazmul Huda, the Health Strategy Lead for the Bangladesh Health Project, invited participants of the Project onto a Bangladeshi radio program to discuss the nursing profession and opportunities overseas, especially in Canada.  The program segment features interviews with a Vancouver Community College student doing a practicum at IUBAT, Rhonda Bennett, and two visiting faculty, Sara Jackson and Dorie Larue.

On the show, Rhonda Bennett explains that nursing is the “foundation of a healthy community, ” and remarks that opportunities in Canada for a nurse are endless and states that nurses assume a variety of roles in Canadian health care.  Sara Jackson also adds, “Nurses are amongst the top 3 most respected professions in Canada” and with the aging population worldwide, there will be increased prospects for nurses interested in working abroad.

For those interested in the entire clip, please play the media file below.  Please note that the show is partially in Bangla, as Dr. Huda hosts in the native language and translates for the listeners; however, the interview portions are conducted fully in English.

http://www.bangladeshhealthproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/08.06.2014_Songrami-Nari-Songlap_Najmul-Sir.mp3

New Publication from BHP Director

John Richards of Simon Fraser University is a founding director of the Bangladesh Health Project with strong ties to Bangladesh. He is also a Professor at Simon Fraser University’s School of Public Policy, and a Fellow of the C.D. Howe Institute. In a recent report for the Institute, John argues that Canada’s foreign aid could be more effective if there were strategies in place that addressed the problem of weak host-country governance. In “Diplomacy, Trade and Aid: Searching for Synergies”, John proposes a mix of corporate social responsibility for Canadian firms engaged in low-income countries, diplomatic involvement in aid projects, and aid projects designed to address problems of “weak” host-country governance.

Students Featured on Bangladeshi Radio to Promote Nursing

This year, student volunteers from Vancouver Community College visited Bangladesh as part of their training and were invited to speak to a broad audience on a radio program. The volunteers, Gabriel Caruana and Jidy Aquino, along with Dr. Nazmul Huda, had the unique opportunity to discuss their experiences as nurses and to explain to listeners the importance of the nursing profession, especially in Bangladesh.

Gabriel and Jidy shared their account of the event:

“Our team had the honour to speak on Nalta 99.2 FM Radio in Satkhira, Bangladesh, which is 1 of 14 radio stations in the country. Nalta 99.2 FM is a community-centred radio station that broadcasts information including health-related topics to multiple communities southwest of Dhaka.

In Bangladesh, doctors outnumber nurses significantly. Therefore, the ratio of students entering nursing needs to increase because nurses are the central workforce for the delivery of the healthcare system.

Our purpose during the radio show was to promote the nursing profession as a respectful, trusted, and highly credible profession. The radio show gave us a platform to inspire the collective community. Dr. Nazmul Huda and his colleagues were instrumental in organizing the radio show, which served as a catalyst for sharing our knowledge and experience of nursing to empower youth. This radio show will bring awareness of nursing and give young people the opportunity to become part of the nursing workforce.”

Thank you to Gabriel and Jidy for helping to empower and educate the general public about the need for nurses in Bangladesh, and for sharing your experience! Keep up the wonderful work.