The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has received a gazette notification with the list of a total 605 doctors to be appointed in the health sector, who were selected through the 32nd special BCS under the freedom fighter quota.
Among the doctors, there are 540 doctors with MBBS degrees and 65 with BDS (dental surgeon). The selected doctors have been advised to join work within October 30.
The special BCS recruitment examination was held in 2011 to recruit 1619 officers under the freedom fighter quota at different ministries including the health ministry.
Dr Md Shah Newaz, director (administration) of DGHS, told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday that the health ministry had given specific instructions for distributing both MBBS and BDS doctors at different divisions.
According to the ministry directives, the DGHS was told to recruit 30 MBBS doctors at Dhaka, 55 at Chittagong, 125 at Rangpur, 100 at Rajshahi, 105 at Barisal, 65 at Sylhet and 60 at Khulna. From the dental surgeons, Dhaka will get five, Chittagong five, Rangpur 17, Rajshahi eight, Barisal 12, Sylhet 10 and Khulna will get eight doctors.
Sources said the selected new recruits had been trying to secure suitable work postings that are nearest to the cities, ever since the gazette notification was published. There are allegations that most of the doctors were trying to collect recommendations from ministers, secretaries, parliament members, political leaders, and senior doctor leaders – in an attempt to be stationed at Dhaka or other cities.
Seeking anonymity, several senior officials told the Dhaka Tribune that it had become a tradition in the health sector to get recommendations from influential people for securing lucrative work places.
They informed that during the tenure of this government, a total of 1,993 doctors were appointed through general and special BCS. Besides, 4,133 doctors were also given appointment on adhoc basis.
According to the rules, each newly-appointed doctor must stay at least two years at a grassroots-level health centre. But in reality, most doctors remain irregular in their duties, going to the health centres only two or three days a week.
