The government has decided to recruit at least 2,000 doctors and 6,000 nurses within a week in a bid to fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The doctors will be appointed from the merit list of over 7,500 physicians who passed the 39th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination in 2018.
Similarly, the government wants to appoint 6,000 new nurses who were found eligible in the recruitment exam held by Bangladesh Public Service Commission’s (BPSC) in the same year.
Habibur Rahman Khan, additional secretary of the Health Services Division, disclosed the matter while addressing the press at the Secretariat on Monday.
He said: “We want to recruit 2,000 doctors and 6,000 nurses within a week to fight Covid-19. The Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are all working together in this regard.”
According to sources, the government has prepared a list of all non-cadre physicians working under different ministries so that they can be sent at the frontlines of this unprecedented health crisis.
Asked about wether this decision will create any form of unrest or conflict among the physicians who are already working and those soon to be appointed, Habibur said: “We are working to avoid any kind of conflict in this process.”
Meanwhile, addressing a video conference with public representatives and administration officials on Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government has already initiated the process of appointing 2,000 doctors and 6,000 nurses.
“We’ll set up an ICU in a good hospital in every district. We’ve decided to do so in all districts in phases and we’ll provide special trainings on ICU operation,” UNB quoted her saying during the video conference with officials of eight districts.
The districts are, Sirajganj, Pabna, Bogra, Rajshahi, Natore, Joypurhat, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon.
The premier asked the people and local administrations to pay special attention to protecting dairy farmers, particularly in Sirajganj and Pabna, and distribute their milk as a relief material for children.
“Since you’re providing relief materials, you can also give milk for children as relief,” she said adding that she already asked to keep state owned Milk Vita running.
The prime minister asked all concerned to make sure the foreigners, who have recently returned, are put on quarantine before they join their work at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna.
As of Monday, Bangladesh confirmed 5,913 coronavirus cases with the death toll rising to 152 after seven new fatalities were reported.
The fast spreading Covid-19 has so far killed 207,000 people in more than 200 countries and territories.
