Govt plans to recruit 100,000 health workers, majority to be women

The government is planning to recruit 100,000 health workers in an effort to strengthen the country’s primary healthcare system, State Minister for Health M A Muhith said on Saturday.

Speaking at a dialogue titled “Bangladesh on the Path to Universal Health Coverage”, organised by the Power and Participation Research Centre at the CIRDAP Auditorium, Muhith said that about 80,000 of the planned recruits will be women.

The state minister also said work has begun on introducing an e-health card system, and preparations are underway to establish the necessary framework for its implementation. According to him, the recruitment initiative is aimed at making the country’s primary healthcare system more inclusive and accessible.

Muhith acknowledged that corruption exists in the health sector and stressed the need for stronger oversight and accountability. “Many initiatives in the past have been lost to corruption. Without proper monitoring, even well-intended plans could turn into large-scale corruption,” he said, adding that a transparent pipeline system must be ensured so that projects are implemented properly.

He also pointed out that patients often suffer due to the activities of brokers in hospitals, while some doctors do not remain regularly present in healthcare facilities to provide services. The government, he said, is working to address these issues to ensure better healthcare delivery.

The dialogue brought together policy experts, researchers, and health professionals to discuss Bangladesh’s progress toward achieving universal healthcare coverage.