Sangsad Bhaban, Sept 7 (V7N) – Only 30,311 doctors are currently working in government hospitals across Bangladesh against 41,806 approved posts, leaving more than 11,000 vacancies, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain told parliament today.
According to a government-funded study conducted this year, Bangladesh needs around 88,909 doctors to meet the WHO's minimum standard of 0.50 doctors per 1,000 population, the minister said while replying to a scripted question from BNP lawmaker Md Mosharraf Hossain (Bogura-4) during the question-and-answer session.
The minister noted that international and national health workforce standards are taken into consideration when determining the number of doctors required in proportion to the country's population. However, he clarified that the total number of doctors in the country is not the same as the number working in the government healthcare system.
The minister said the government has already taken various recruitment initiatives to fill 11,495 vacant posts in government healthcare institutions and increase the number of doctors.
"A significant number of doctors have been recruited through the 44th and 48th special BCS examinations, while the recruitment of assistant surgeons through the 45th, 46th, 47th and 50th BCS examinations is also underway," he said.
Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said the government will continue its recruitment drive to gradually fill vacant posts in government healthcare institutions, and new posts would also be created as necessary to ensure accessible, quality and people-friendly healthcare services for the people.
The government has also been working to expand healthcare infrastructure, with plans to establish 151-bed hospitals in every upazila—the foundation stone for 18 such hospitals was laid on September 4, 2026, and a total of 455 districts are expected to have such hospitals. However, the acute shortage of doctors in public hospitals poses significant challenges to healthcare delivery, with the rural-urban divide and disparities in healthcare access remaining a concern. The government has also announced plans to establish health hubs in every union and health welfare centres at the ward level to ensure healthcare services for people in remote areas.
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