Work at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) is being severely impeded, with only a single director general being in charge of managing over 175,000 employees working under the DGHS.
The plate is always full for Dr Khondokar Md Sifayetullah, the director general of the DGHS, as the agency oversees the massive workforce of 22 public and 54 private medical colleges, 14 dental colleges, 583 government hospitals and 2,966 private hospitals, making the Directorate General of Health Services the largest agency of the government in terms of manpower.
Despite having to carry out the huge responsibility of leading the agency, DG (current charge) Dr Sifayetullah, is still a Grade-II employee. A decision was made to upgrade the position to Grade-I, but the necessary orders are yet to be issued.
During the current government’s tenure, around 40,000 people were recruited in the health sector. However, manpower shortage still plagues the DGHS, as thousands of third and fourth-class posts are yet to be filled because of writ petitions against the recruitment process.
Over 1,400 writ petitions challenging recruitments, transfers, promotions, and financial irregularities by the DGHS – remain pending at the court.
The crisis is severe at senior-level management of DGHS, with two positions of additional director general remaining vacant at the agency. However, the agency’s Director (MIS) Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad has taken on the extra responsibility of acting as an additional DG.
For the past six months, the position of DGHS director (hospital and clinic) has also remained vacant.
DGHS Director (health education and development) Dr ABM Abdul Hannan, has taken on the additional responsibilities of the DGHS director (hospital and clinic), which includes monitoring and supervising government hospitals, 3,000 registered private hospitals and clinics, and 10,000 diagnostic centres and pathological laboratories.
However, there are many allegations against Dr Hannan of committing irregularities while making millions of taka worth of purchases of medical equipment for hospitals.
Dr Hannan, on the other hand, denied the allegations against him.
Sources said government high-ups and senior leaders from doctors’ organisations pressure the DGHS to accept a wide range of their recommendations, which starts with the recruitment or transfer of peons and sweepers, and extends to securing fund allocation for traveling abroad or medical equipment procurement.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, DGHS Director General Dr Sifayetullah said it has become impossible for a single DG to properly run such a mega-sector. The health sector may face a severe crisis in the future, unless more positions for DGs are created, Dr Sifayetullah cautioned.
Dr Rashid-e-Mahbub, former president of Bangladesh Medical Association and also the president of the national committee for health rights movement, claimed that not only the DGHS, but the whole healthcare sector requires massive reforms.
He also suggested that decentralising the decision-making roles of the DGHS may solve the existing crisis. Proper coordination and monitoring will bring fresh momentum to the health sector, Dr Mahbub said.
DGHS Director (administration) Dr Md Shahnewaz said the agency had not created any new posts since 1984, while many of the positions created at that time were yet to be filled.
Former director general of DGHS Prof Dr Shah Monir Hossain echoed the incumbent DG and said a single DG cannot run the agency. He also recommended that three DGs fulfilling respective duties for primary healthcare services, medical education and clinical services – were required for the DGHS.
He however cautioned against decentralising the DGHS, saying that decentralisation without ensuring proper monitoring and supervision – would hit back the DGHS like a boomerang.
