20pc doctors absent at govt hospitals: minister

About 20 per cent doctors are found absent at their workplaces although the health ministry introduced different mechanism to ensure their presence.
Disclosing the findings at a press conference at the health ministry, health minister Zahid Maleque, said though the attendance rate of doctors were increasing, it could not be ensured 100 per cent yet.
The minister arranged the news briefing to inform about the progress of his 100-day goal, announced on January 16 after the ruling Awami League took office for the third consecutive term.
Ensuring doctors’ attendance was one of the top agenda.
Zahid Maleque said that earlier the rate of doctors’ presence was merely 40 per cent and it has gone up to 75-80 per cent now.
‘We could not ensure attendance of all doctors, which is not expected,’ he said. ‘We are trying to identify the errant doctors,’ he added.
Zahid said 4,792 new doctors have been recruited recently and they would help resolve the physician crisis in rural areas.
He said the other targets of the 100-day goal were mostly achieved or on the course of achievement.
Among the targets, the work for upgrading Dhaka Medical College Hospital to a 5,000-bed hospital from the existing 2600 beds has been started and the work would be finished after four years.
Besides, he said, another target of setting up a cancer hospital and a kidney hospital in each division was on the way to be finalized by the ECNEC.
The specialized cancer and kidney hospitals’ work would be finished by next three to four years, Zahid said.
The state minister for health, Murad Hasan, health secretary Asadul Islam and Health Services director general Abul Kalam Azad were present, among others.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net