Government hospitals have 30,311 doctors against requirement of 88,909: Health Minister

To meet the minimum doctor-population ratio according to international standards, Bangladesh needs approximately 88,909 doctors, but currently only 30,311 are working in government hospitals, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain told parliament.

The minister disclosed this information on Monday, September 7, during the question-and-answer session in response to a written query from BNP MP Md Jahandar Ali Mihar (Madaripur-2). The session began at 3pm with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram in the chair.

The Health Minister said according to a 2026 study funded by the government, Bangladesh needs about 88,909 doctors this year to meet the World Health Organisation's minimum standard of 0.50 physicians per 1,000 population.

He said there are a total of 41,806 sanctioned posts for doctors in government hospitals, of which 30,311 are currently filled, leaving 11,495 posts vacant.

Sakhawat Hossain said various international and national health workforce standards are considered when determining the number of doctors required in proportion to the country's population. However, the total number of doctors in the country and the number working in the government health system are not the same.

The Health Minister said various recruitment drives are ongoing to fill vacancies and increase the number of doctors in government health facilities. He noted that a significant number of doctors have been appointed through the 44th and 48th special BCS examinations, while recruitment of assistant surgeons through the 45th, 46th, 47th and 50th BCS examinations is also underway.

He said the ongoing recruitment process would continue to gradually fill the vacancies in government healthcare institutions. Additionally, necessary steps would be taken to create new posts to ensure accessible, quality and patient-friendly healthcare services for the public.