11,500 doctor posts vacant in government hospitals

On Monday (September 7), responding to a question from Member of Parliament Md. Mosharraf Hossain during the question-answer session of the National Parliament session, the health minister gave this information.

The minister said, against 41,806 approved posts for doctors in government hospitals and health service institutions, currently 30,311 are working. As a result, 11,495 posts are vacant.

He said that to determine the need for doctors in proportion to the population, national and international health workforce standards are considered. According to a government-funded study conducted in 2026, according to the World Health Organization's minimum standard, 0.50 doctors are needed per 1,000 people. By that calculation, Bangladesh will need around 88,909 doctors in 2026.

Apart from filling vacant posts in the government health system, initiatives have also been taken to increase the number of doctors considering the needs of the people, the health minister said.

He said doctors have been appointed through the 44th and 48th special BCS. Besides, the process of appointing assistant surgeons through the 45th, 46th, 47th and 50th BCS is ongoing.

Through the ongoing appointment activities, vacant posts in government health service institutions will be filled step by step. The minister said initiatives will also be taken to create new posts as needed. Through this, he said, accessible, quality and people-friendly government healthcare services will be ensured for the public.