80% women among 1 lakh health workers to be hired for remote areas: Zubaida

One lakh health workers are being recruited to expand preventive healthcare services in remote parts of the country, with 80% of the positions reserved for women, said Dr Zubaida Rahman, vice-president of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation.

She made the announcement at a programme marking the 12th anniversary of the Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives (ideSHi), held at a hotel in Gulshan, Dhaka, today (14 November).

Dr Zubaida said years of neglect in the health sector had left preventive healthcare insufficiently prioritised. Consequently, millions of women across more than 90,000 villages in Bangladesh are suffering from diseases that could have been prevented, she added.

“Building a healthy and strong Bangladesh, with such a large population, requires the collective and dedicated efforts of everyone,” she said.

She also congratulated ideSHi founder and head Dr Firdausi Qadri, along with the institute’s scientists and staff, for their dedication and contributions.

Referring to the government’s efforts to engage young people in science, innovation and technology, Dr Zubaida said Bangladesh needed more scientists to research the country’s own challenges and develop solutions.

She expressed hope that advances in research, treatment and disease prevention would enable the country to make significant progress in healthcare and gain international recognition.

She also emphasised the importance of sustained cooperation among the government, research-based universities and the pharmaceutical industry.

Dr SM Ziauddin Haider, special assistant to the prime minister on health, attended the programme as a special guest, while Directorate General of Health Services Director General Professor Dr Prabhat Chandra Biswas was present as an honoured guest.