The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has reportedly failed to generate adequate response among young doctors after offering jobs as lecturers for basic subjects of the MBBS course at different district-level medical colleges.
In a circular issued on February 3, the DGHS invited applications from doctors working in government organisations, for the post of lecturers of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry departments at the Sheikh Sayera Khatun Medical College in Gopalganj, Satkhira Medical College, Shahid Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College in Kishoreganj, Noakhali Medical College and Cox’s Bazar Medical College.
As an incentive for doctors to apply, the DGHS has also relaxed the mandatory requirement for fresh doctors of staying two years at a root-level health institute, as those interested in joining as lecturers would be allowed if they stayed only one year at root-level working stations.
However, the Dhaka Tribune has learned that despite the offer, only 11 doctors have applied for lectureship: four of them are seeking positions at Sheikh Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College, four at Cox’s Bazar Medical College and three at Noakhali Medical College.
Among the total applicants, eight have applied for physiology and three for biochemistry posts. No one has applied to join as a lecturer of anatomy.
DGHS sources said the five medical colleges had no regular post of lecturers, with the management conducting classes by appointing teachers from different public medical colleges on deputation.
However, no official at the DGHS could confirm how many lecturers were needed in total at the medical colleges.
Professor Dr ABM Abdul Hannan, director (medical education and manpower development) of the DGHS, told the Dhaka Tribune that there were not enough doctors who were interested to join as teachers at medical colleges outside Dhaka.
Several medical education specialists said the number of teachers for basic subjects in both public and private medical colleges has been gradually decreasing. The shortage of teachers for basic subjects of MBBS course – which includes anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, forensic medicine, pharmacology and pathology – has made it difficult for authorities concerned to conduct academic activities, they added.
Dr Khondokar Md Sifayetullah, former DGHS director general and a professor of anatomy, termed the trend as “unfortunate,” and told the Dhaka Tribune that most young doctors were uninterested to join as the basic subjects were non-practicing disciplines. Most of the new doctors want to take post-graduation degree and run after money, he added.
The Dhaka Tribune has also acquired a copy of a letter from the principal of Pabna Medical College, dated March 2, in which he asked the DGHS director (medical education) for recruiting 30 lecturers. The principal added in the letter that the appointments were needed on an emergency basis to conduct the academic activities of the 6th batch of MBBS course.
Health ministry sources also said the principal of Shahid Ziaur Rahman Medical College in Bogra submitted a letter on February 13 to the health secretary, mentioning a severe crisis of teachers for basic subjects and requesting him to appoint in the vacant posts.
The letter also said all three posts of professor (one full professor, one associate and one assistant professor) at the anatomy department were vacant.
Other vacant posts at the college included one biochemistry professor, one assistant professor of physiology, one professor and one assistant professor of microbiology, one professor and one lecturer of forensic medicine, one associate and one assistant professor of pharmacology, one professor and one assistant professor of pathology and one associate professor and one lecturer of community medicine department.
Professor Dr Rashid-e-Mahbub, president of Health Rights Movement Bangladesh and ex-president of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), told the Dhaka Tribune that the failure to create regular position of lecturers at private medical colleges was one of the reasons why the DGHS could not attract doctors to join.
The new doctors are also uninterested in joining as teachers for the basic subjects, as there are not enough options to earn extra money through private practice, Mahbub said, adding that the health ministry should take a long-term plan and initiative to attract doctors to become teachers of basic subjects.