The government has initiated the recruitment of 5,000 doctors to address manpower shortages in the country's health sector, while also taking steps to expand diagnostic facilities at upazila health complexes, ensure doctors' attendance at workplaces and strengthen preventive healthcare services.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit disclosed the information while speaking to journalists after a workshop reviewing progress in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) and other health programs at a hotel in Rajshahi city on Saturday.
The state minister said nearly 40% of posts in the country's health sector remain vacant, making it difficult for hospitals to cope with patient pressure.
To address the shortage, the government has initiated the recruitment process for 5,000 doctors. He also stressed the importance of ensuring that doctors attend their designated workplaces.
He claimed that around 80-90% of doctors are currently attending their workplaces.
Emphasizing the need to improve diagnostic facilities at the upazila level, Dr MA Muhit said establishing pathology laboratories at upazila health complexes and ensuring that existing equipment remains functional would make disease diagnosis easier.
This would reduce patients' suffering and improve their access to necessary healthcare services, he added.
Highlighting the government's efforts to prevent measles, the state minister said more than 20 million children had been vaccinated through the ongoing immunization program and a special campaign targeting children who had missed their scheduled vaccinations.
He also said cleanliness drives, mosquito and larval control measures, and training for doctors had been strengthened to tackle dengue.
Around 2,000 doctors have already received specialized training to treat dengue patients, he added.
The state minister said preventing diseases was more effective than treating them after they developed. The government was therefore placing particular emphasis on preventive healthcare through vaccination, cleanliness campaigns and public awareness initiatives, he added.
Rajshahi Divisional Director of Health Dr Md Habibur Rahman chaired the workshop.
Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Pravat Chandra Biswas, Rajshahi Medical University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Jawadul Haque and Rajshahi City Corporation Administrator Md Mahfuzur Rahman Riton attended the event as special guests.
