Recruitment process for around 900 doctors has begun
Photo: Collected
“>
Photo: Collected
Highlights:
- Government plans to recruit 5,000 doctors in phases
- Another 100,000 health workers will also be recruited
- Upazila hospitals will receive expanded infrastructure, equipment and digital systems
- Health budget reaches record Tk69,409 crore for FY2026-27
- Allocation exceeds 1% of GDP for the first time
- New workers will conduct household checks for early disease detection
The government plans to recruit 5,000 doctors and 1 lakh health workers in phases to strengthen public healthcare services at the grassroots, alongside expanding health infrastructure at upazila level under the record Tk69,409 crore allocation for FY2026-27.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare MA Muhit said five to eight new doctors have been posted to each upazila since the government took office. The ministry has also asked the Public Service Commission to recruit another 5,000 doctors, while the recruitment process for around 900 doctors has begun.
“We currently have around 40,000 field-level health workers, but for a population of 20 crore, we need around 1.5 lakh,” he told The Business Standard.
Infograph: TBS
“>
Infograph: TBS
Muhit said the government therefore plans to recruit another 1 lakh health workers in phases.
This year’s allocation for healthcare is equivalent to 1.01% of GDP, marking the first time Bangladesh’s health budget has crossed 1% of GDP, he said.
“We are not looking at the new budget simply in terms of the amount of money. It is the first step in a five-year health reform plan,” Muhit said, listing preventive healthcare as another priority.
He said the largest share of the budget will go towards expanding upazila-level hospitals with necessary medical equipment, primary healthcare and digital health systems , while a significant allocation has also been set aside for recruiting staff to run the expanded facilities.
The health ministry is preparing a workforce plan based on existing vacancies, future demand and staffing needs at the new hospitals, he said.
“New recruits will be trained under a modern curriculum and provided with special health kits to conduct household-level checks, including blood pressure, blood glucose and other basic tests. This will help with early detection of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer,” he said.
About The Author
