IT was reported in a national daily that instead of engaging at various upazila level hospitals the government has made 1,647 newly recruited Doctors OSDs (Officer on Special Duty) and posted them at the Directorate of Health Services in Dhaka. Many of them have been attached to some health complexes in the upazilas around the capital city. They are staying in Dhaka and attending private chambers and clinics to earn money beyond their salaries. It should be mentioned that the government had recently recruited 6,151 physicians who came through the 33rd BCS examinations. The step of the government was considered as a good move and it was expected that the doctors would be posted at the upazila level hospitals and the people of the rural areas would not have to go to big cities for medical treatments. But the real picture has emerged as a very discouraging one.
According to some sources those physicians might have adopted illegal means including bribery to secure the postings as OSDs although the Health Ministry officials wanted to convince that as there were no vacancies for the entry level Doctors at the upazila level hospitals at the moment those Doctors had been posted as OSDs. On the other hand the conscious section of the people have indicated otherwise and said that the appointments had been ‘managed’ through illegal means.
The reaction of the OSD Doctors also created doubt and curiosity at the very appointments as OSD posts are usually given as a punishment for corruption or irregularities or for long term leave, mostly on study or training purpose. In many cases political reasons are also considered. Hence if anyone is made an OSD he/she should not be happy about it. But the newly recruited 1,647 Doctors were found cheerful. This clearly indicated that the allegation of ‘managing’ the postings was not untrue.
We think the newly recruited physicians have gone against the government’s policy of ensuring medical facilities for the rural people. It was hoped that the newly recruited doctors would play their roles as providers of proper medicare to the unreached or uncovered rural people.
According to some sources those physicians might have adopted illegal means including bribery to secure the postings as OSDs although the Health Ministry officials wanted to convince that as there were no vacancies for the entry level Doctors at the upazila level hospitals at the moment those Doctors had been posted as OSDs. On the other hand the conscious section of the people have indicated otherwise and said that the appointments had been ‘managed’ through illegal means.
The reaction of the OSD Doctors also created doubt and curiosity at the very appointments as OSD posts are usually given as a punishment for corruption or irregularities or for long term leave, mostly on study or training purpose. In many cases political reasons are also considered. Hence if anyone is made an OSD he/she should not be happy about it. But the newly recruited 1,647 Doctors were found cheerful. This clearly indicated that the allegation of ‘managing’ the postings was not untrue.
We think the newly recruited physicians have gone against the government’s policy of ensuring medical facilities for the rural people. It was hoped that the newly recruited doctors would play their roles as providers of proper medicare to the unreached or uncovered rural people.
