The Bangladesh Medical Technologist Alliance (BMTA) has renewed calls for professional recognition and rights for medical technologists, whose technology-driven work underpins modern diagnostics and healthcare delivery. In a statement issued Tuesday, July 7, marking World Medical Technologist Day, BMTA Secretary General Md. Shamim Shah said medical technologists play a critical role in disease diagnosis, treatment planning, and public health protection through laboratory, radiology, physiotherapy, dental, and pharmacy services nationwide.
According to the organization, the profession's origins date back 259 years to July 8, 1766, when Dr. Dominique Jean Larrey, chief surgeon in Napoleon Bonaparte's army, trained soldiers in scientific medical methods and introduced an early triage system to treat wounded troops on the battlefield swiftly. That system evolved over time into today's comprehensive medical technology sector, encompassing laboratory, dental, physiotherapy, radiology, and critical care technology, all aimed at supporting physicians in accurate diagnosis through modern technology-based healthcare.
BMTA noted that 53 years after independence, a 2018 non-medical gazette replaced the "technician" designation with "medical technologist." However, unlike doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, whose professions have established councils, medical technologists still lack one despite repeated requests to the government. While nursing has been granted deputy director and director-level positions, technologists with university degrees have been left without promotion pathways, the organization alleged.
BMTA further stated that although the government decided to establish an Allied Health Professional Education Board, it remains unimplemented. World Medical Technologist Day is observed globally every July 8 in honor of Larrey's contributions, and on this occasion the organization urged health authorities to implement the education board swiftly and grant skilled medical technologists the same respect and recognition afforded to doctors and nurses.
//DBTECH/BMN/K//
