Names of deceased, retired doctors on major reshuffle list

Some deceased and retired doctors have also made it to the list of over 1,000 doctors that the Health Ministry prepared to “temporarily” transfer them to healthcare facilities across Bangladesh, aiming for better management of the rapidly spiralling Covid-19 situation in the country.

Authorities now say it was an unintentional mistake, occurred for using backdated information. Describing it as "embarrassing," officials now say that they are revising the list.

On Tuesday evening, the Health Ministry published a fresh notice to stay the transfer orders which have irregularities.

The original circular, signed by Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Health Zakia Parveen, contains the names of Dr Jeebesh Kumar Pramanik Swapan, assistant professor of respiratory medicine in Bogra Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College, who died on January 6, and Dr Ferdous Ara Sheikh of the department of gynaecology and obstetrics at Rangpur Medical College, who also passed away.

Besides them, Rangpur Medical College paediatrician Dr Mumtaz Begum and Cox's Bazar Medical College eye specialist Dr Ghiyasuddin – both retired – were also “transferred.”

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The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a transfer notice for 200 physicians on Sunday and another for 1,000 health cadres on Monday.

The transfer orders came as part of the government’s move to support the healthcare facilities in district and upazila levels to tackle the worsening Covid situation.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque told Bangla Tribune: “Doctors in different hospitals of the country are struggling as the number of Covid-19 patients is increasing. Therefore, doctors from medical colleges have been attached to hospitals to overcome the ongoing crisis.

“Once the crisis is over, they will return to their former workplaces. It cannot be called a transfer; rather they have been attached to hospitals.”

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In a circular, doctors were instructed to join the new workplaces on the respective transfer date. Failure to do so would result in immediate dismissal from the current workplace the next day.

The BCS health cadres or health service officers were instructed to work at their assigned workplaces until further instructions.

The transferred physicians will be paid by the previous or original institution, reads the circular.