The Health Ministry has cancelled the posting order of more than 500 BCS-passed health cadre doctors and directed them to stay “in situ,” or at their original posting, until further order; however, the promotion of these doctors to the rank of junior consultant (current charge) would stay in effect.
AKM Muklesur Rahman, a deputy secretary of Health Ministry, issued a circular on this regard on August 3.
The latest move comes after a separate circular issued on July 27, which promoted over 500 hundred doctors and gave them posting to different upazila health complexes. It also asked the promoted doctors to join work within four days.
Sources told the Dhaka Tribune that around half of the promoted doctors, who were all junior leaders of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad (Swachip) working in or around Dhaka, objected to their posting at different upazilas, prompting the ruling party-backed doctors’ organisation to successfully lobby the ministry against their relocation.
However, Swachip Joint Secretary General Dr Jamaluddin Chowdhury denied the allegation and claimed that Swachip leaders did not interfere in either the ministry’s promotion and posting of the doctors, or in the suspension of its previous order. “I heard the Health Ministry had failed to make the order correctly,” he added.
Such a wholesale promotion of doctors to current charge is reportedly an unprecedented move.
The majority of the doctors given promotion allegedly did not have professional experience of four years and required degrees (post-graduation or diploma in specific subjects); instead there are claims that they were promoted based on their political allegiance.
Md Habibur Rahman Khan, a joint secretary at the ministry, however, denied the allegation and told the Dhaka Tribune that all the doctors had the required qualifications and job experience.
“All of them deserved to be promoted, but because of the delay in the process, they were given promotion to current charge. They will be promoted at regular posts soon,” he added.
The Health Ministry was reportedly compelled to promote the doctors to the rank of junior consultant as there was a shortage of entry-level posts.
Habibur said it was partially true but not the sole reason.
Dr Ehtheshamul Hoque Chowdhury, director (administration) of the health services, told the Dhaka Tribune that the decision to promote such a large number of doctors was taken by the ministry and he was unaware of the reason behind it. He also denied claims that the move was made to create vacant entry-level posts.
“We had 4,000 vacant entry-level posts. A total of 1,300 ad hoc doctors joining the posts were selected in the 33rd BCS which is why their posts became vacant. Another 800 doctors were recently promoted to the rank of junior consultant (regular) and their posts turned vacant. Moreover, according to the public service rule, 10% of a total of 15,829 entry-level posts must be reserved for emergency use. So there will be no problem in vacancy for entry-level posts,” he added.
