Govt Moves to Hire 100,000 Health Workers Urgently

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 in grades 13 to 16 to be filled on a priority basis.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has instructed officials to take immediate steps to expedite recruitment across health facilities nationwide.

A letter signed by DGHS Director (Administration) Professor Dr Jalal Uddin Mohammad Rumi on Friday was sent to all directors, civil surgeons, hospital superintendents, deputy directors and assistant directors under the DGHS.

According to the letter, the recruitment drive follows decisions taken at a monthly coordination meeting of the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as well as commitments made in the government’s election manifesto.

The DGHS also referred to the prime minister’s directive and instructed officials to take special measures to implement the recruitment programme.

Under the Non-Medical Employees Recruitment Rules, 2018, authorities have been asked to fill all vacant posts in grades 13 to 16 through promotion and direct recruitment. Relevant institutions have also been instructed to obtain the necessary clearances to complete the recruitment process quickly.

The directive also covers recruitment processes that were stalled before the current government took office.

Health institutions that had 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 and issue new recruitment notices.

They have also been asked to coordinate the new recruitment process with applications submitted under previous notices.

The DGHS instructed health institutions to take immediate measures to resolve court cases and administrative complications that have delayed recruitment.

The initiative is expected to revive several long-pending recruitment processes and ease manpower shortages that have been putting additional pressure on public healthcare services.

The DGHS letter also addressed complications surrounding 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 placed the posts in grade 14, creating complications in promotions.

To resolve the issue, authorities have been instructed to take steps to place chief assistants, senior assistants and 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 be monitored regularly. All health institutions have been instructed to submit monthly updates on recruitment progress to the DGHS administration branch by the fifth day of each month.

The information must be submitted both in hard copy and by email.

The large-scale recruitment comes amid persistent manpower shortages in government hospitals and healthcare facilities, where vacant posts have increased the workload of existing staff and affected service delivery.