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The government has launched an urgent drive to recruit 100,000 health workers to address severe manpower shortages across public healthcare institutions, with vacant posts from grades 13 to 16 to be filled on a priority basis.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has instructed its officials to take the necessary steps to expedite the recruitment process across health facilities nationwide.
The directive was issued in a letter signed by DGHS Director (Administration) Professor Dr Jalal Uddin Mohammad Rumi on Friday. The letter was sent to all directors, civil surgeons, hospital superintendents, deputy directors and assistant directors under the DGHS.
According to the letter, the recruitment initiative was taken following decisions made at a monthly coordination meeting of the Health Services Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as well as commitments under the government’s election manifesto.
The DGHS also referred to the prime minister’s directive while asking relevant officials to take “special” measures to implement the recruitment programme.
Under the Non-Medical Employees Recruitment Rules, 2018, authorities have been instructed to fill all vacant posts in grades 13 to 16 through promotion and direct recruitment. The concerned institutions have also been asked to obtain the necessary clearances to ensure the recruitment process is completed quickly.
The directive also addresses recruitment processes that had remained stalled before the current government took office.
Health institutions that had already published recruitment notices and accepted applications for vacant posts by February 10 but could not complete the process have been instructed to obtain fresh clearance for the vacant posts and issue new recruitment notices.
At the same time, authorities have been asked to complete the recruitment process by coordinating with applications received under the earlier recruitment notices.
The DGHS has also instructed health institutions to take immediate steps to resolve any court cases or administrative complications that have delayed recruitment.
The move is expected to revive several long-pending recruitment processes and help reduce manpower shortages that have been affecting healthcare services across the country.
The DGHS letter also highlighted a problem involving the grading of chief assistant posts.
Under the Non-Medical Employees Recruitment Rules, 1985, chief assistant posts in divisional offices and some health institutions under civil surgeons were placed in grade 13. However, the 2018 rules included these posts under grade 14, creating complications in the promotion process.
To address the issue, the DGHS has instructed authorities to take necessary steps to place chief assistants, senior assistants or equivalent officials currently serving in grade 14 against vacant grade-13 posts, either at their existing pay scale or on a current-charge basis.
The recruitment drive will also be monitored regularly. All health institutions have been instructed to submit monthly updates on the progress of recruitment in a prescribed format to the DGHS administration branch by the fifth day of every month.
The information must be submitted both in hard copy and by email.
The large-scale recruitment initiative comes amid persistent concerns over manpower shortages in government hospitals and health facilities, where vacancies have often placed additional pressure on existing staff and affected service delivery.