The government of Bangladesh is planning to recruit 100,000 new health workers to make the country’s primary healthcare system more accessible and people-friendly, State Minister for Health Md. A. M. Muhith announced.
He said that around 80,000 of the planned positions will prioritize female health workers in order to expand healthcare services at the grassroots level.
The announcement was made on Saturday during a dialogue titled “Bangladesh on the Path to Universal Health Coverage,” organized by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) at the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) auditorium in the capital.
The state minister also revealed that the government has already begun work on introducing an “e-Health Card” system, and preparations are underway to establish the implementation framework.
“To ensure healthcare services reach the grassroots level, we will recruit 100,000 new health workers, a large proportion of whom will be women,” Muhith said.
Addressing challenges within the health sector, the minister acknowledged the presence of corruption and emphasized the need for stronger oversight. He noted that without effective monitoring, even well-designed initiatives could be undermined.
He stressed that transparency and a robust supervision system are essential to ensure that development plans in the health sector are properly implemented.
The minister also highlighted difficulties faced by patients in hospitals, mentioning the influence of middlemen and the absence of some doctors from their workplaces as key factors depriving people of proper medical services. He said the government is taking strict measures to address these issues.
Experts and stakeholders attending the event discussed the future of Bangladesh’s healthcare system, focusing on challenges and possible reforms to ensure universal access to healthcare services.
