Govt to Recruit 2000 Doctors, 4000 Nurses: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday told Parliament that the government will recruit 2,000 physicians and 4,000 nurses to ensure healthcare services for the Covid-19 patients.

"[The government] has created 2,000 more doctors' posts. We 're going to recruit 4,000 more nurses, and I have already issued this order to the Minister of Health. They will shortly be recruited, "she said, adding to the general discussion of the new national budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year.

The Prime Minister said the government has already recruited 2,000 doctors and 6,000 nurses in a short period of time to ensure the treatment of the Covid-19 patients.

She said the recruitment process of hiring 3,000 posts of medical technologists, cardiographers and lab attendants has started.

The government also arranged lodging in hotels, meals and transportation for physicians, nurses and health workers who are actively involved in healthcare facilities for Covid-19 patients, she said.

Pointing at an allegation raised by Deputy Opposition Leader GM Quader, the Prime Minister said the cost of Tk 20 crore against hotel rent and foods of a medical college seems to be slightly unusual.

“We’re investigating it as to why it is so unusual. We’ll take action if any irregularity occurred there,” she said.

Mentioning that the government has been seeking to shield the population of the world from coronavirus, she said that the mortality rate among the Covid-19 infected is 1.26 per cent in Bangladesh, compared to 3.08 per cent in India, 2.03 per cent in Pakistan, 14.03 per cent in the United Kingdom and 5 per cent in the United States.

He said it was necessary to maintain the low death rate in Bangladesh owing to effective policy measures.

Joining the discussion earlier, GM Quader voiced reservations regarding abuse of public money that doctors and health workers at Dhaka Medical College invested Tk 20 crore towards their food and stayed in hotels.

Source: UNB