More than 23,000 sanctioned posts for physicians, nurses, and health workers remain vacant in government hospitals and upazila health complexes across Bangladesh, whilst over half of the physician positions at union-level health centres are unfilled, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain told Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday.
The minister disclosed the figures while replying to separate starred questions from Jashore-4 lawmaker Gholam Rasul and Narsingdi-1 lawmaker Khairul Kabir Khokon, during the fourth sitting of the second session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.
According to the minister, 9,407 of the 41,806 sanctioned doctor posts in government hospitals are vacant, alongside 5,032 of 49,501 nurse positions and 8,784 of 26,544 health worker posts.
At the upazila level, 5,782 of 13,211 doctor posts remain vacant, while 1,663 nurse positions and 1,066 other staff posts are also unfilled.
The staffing situation is more acute at Union Sub-Health Centres, where 670 of 1,314 doctor posts are vacant, representing approximately 51 per cent of all sanctioned positions. In addition, 566 of 1,312 midwife posts and 945 of 2,627 other staff positions remain unfilled.
The minister said that recruitment to vacant posts is continuing through the Public Service Commission (PSC) examinations. Recruitment processes are currently underway for 4,113 assistant surgeons through the 45th, 46th, 47th, and 50th BCS examinations, he said.
He also stated that the government plans to recruit 100,000 health workers under the health ministry in line with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s election manifesto.
The minister further informed Jatiya Sangsad that 19 upazilas have already been upgraded from 50 to 100-bed health complexes, while development work is ongoing in seven others.
‘A policy decision has been taken to establish 101-bed hospitals in the remaining 408 upazilas,’ Sakhawat said.
Replying to a question from reserved seat 10 lawmaker Nilofar Chowdhury Moni, he added that 14,460 community clinics are currently operating at the ward level across the country.
