Govt orders urgent filling of 35,000 vacancies in Health Directorate

The government has ordered the Health Directorate to urgently fill around 35,000 vacant posts in grades 11 to 20 to strengthen healthcare services at the grassroots level.

The decision was taken at a virtual meeting chaired by Health Services Division Secretary ANM Bazlur Rashid.

Following the meeting, instructions were sent to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), including its director for administration, divisional directors and civil surgeons, to expedite the recruitment process.

The move is part of the government’s plan to recruit 100,000 health workers in phases under its “health for all” policy.

According to the latest DGHS data, the directorate had 127,101 approved posts as of August, with nearly 36 percent remaining vacant. Although around 3,200 doctors and dental surgeons have recently been recruited for grades 1 to 9, nearly 24 percent of posts in those grades remain unfilled.

The staffing shortage is particularly acute in grades 11 to 16, where 20,995 of 56,908 approved posts are vacant. The positions include health assistants, health inspectors, assistant health inspectors and medical technologists.

Another 13,945 posts are vacant in grades 17 to 20, where 26,295 positions have been approved. The shortage has increased the workload on existing staff providing healthcare services at the field level.

Bazlur Rashid said the relevant authorities had been instructed to complete recruitment on an urgent basis and that necessary documents had already been sent to the concerned offices.

The government is also moving to strengthen rural healthcare through additional recruitment of doctors.

The Bangladesh Public Service Commission has invited applications under the 51st special BCS examination to recruit 4,700 assistant surgeons and 300 assistant dental surgeons.