Health Minister Sardar M Sakhawat Hossain informed Parliament that there are currently 9,407 vacant doctor positions out of the approved 41,806 positions in government hospitals across the country. Additionally, there are 5,32 vacant nursing positions out of 49,501 approved positions and 8,784 vacant health worker positions out of 26,544 approved positions.
The Health Minister provided this information in response to a question from BNP MP Khairul Kabir Khokon during the question-answer session at the beginning of Wednesday's parliamentary session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
In response to a question from MP Golam Rasul of Jessore-4, the Health Minister informed that there are 5,782 vacant doctor positions out of 13,211 positions in upazila health complexes nationwide. There are also 1,663 vacant nursing positions out of 13,809 positions and 1,66 vacant other staff positions out of 3,186 positions.
Regarding union sub-health centers, the Health Minister stated that there are 670 vacant doctor positions out of 1,134 positions, 466 vacant midwife positions out of 1,312 positions, and 915 vacant other staff positions out of 2,627 positions. In union health centers, there are 1,707 vacant doctor positions out of 3,167 positions and 1,520 vacant SACMO positions out of 3,165 positions.
The Health Minister also mentioned that there are currently 14,460 community clinics operational nationwide, with each clinic receiving Tk 2.47 lakh worth of medicine annually.
In response to a question about the health risks posed by poultry and fish feed made from tannery waste, the Health Minister acknowledged the issue and stated that the government has taken various steps to address it. He explained that during leather processing, heavy metals like chromium are used, and some unscrupulous businessmen use this toxic waste to produce cheap poultry and fish feed.
The Health Minister warned that consuming meat and eggs from poultry fed with such feed can lead to the accumulation of toxic hexavalent chromium in the body, which can cause serious health issues like cancer, liver cirrhosis, ulcers, and kidney damage. He assured that the government has already implemented various measures to tackle this health risk.
In response to a question about the international risk of hantavirus infection, the Health Minister stated that the government has taken initiatives to strengthen border health surveillance, passenger screening, patient identification and treatment preparedness, public awareness campaigns, and emergency response capabilities.
