Special BCS Exam Planned to Recruit 5,000 Doctors

In a major initiative to address the ongoing shortage within the country's healthcare infrastructure and deliver medical services to citizens' doorsteps, the government is moving forward with a special Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination to recruit 5,000 doctors. Operational procedures have already commenced to create 5,000 new cadre posts within the BCS (Health) cadre, comprising 4,700 Assistant Surgeons and 300 Assistant Dental Surgeons.

According to sources from the Health Services Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the government has decided to upgrade various Upazila Health Complexes from 31 to 50 beds, and existing 50-bed facilities to 100-bed hospitals. Furthermore, 100-bed district-level hospitals are slated to expand into 250-bed facilities.

The ministry stated that once these infrastructural expansions are fully realized, a substantial influx of medical professionals will be required to maintain uninterrupted healthcare delivery. Additionally, a significant number of active doctors pursue higher postgraduate degrees annually, while others transition into retirement. This creates chronic vacancies at upazila and district hospitals, severely hampering public medical services.

To bridge this vacuum and guarantee quality healthcare for the general populace, the policy decision was taken to absorb 5,000 doctors through a dedicated special BCS exam.

Sources confirmed that on June 11, the Health Services Division dispatched an official directive to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The letter instructed the directorate to prepare a fully comprehensive proposal for the creation of these positions, adhering strictly to the designated checklist provided by the Ministry of Public Administration. The DGHS was directed to finalize and execute the required protocols by June 14.

Sajib Ahmed, Senior Assistant Secretary (Per-4) of the Health Services Division, explained the current status of the file to The Daily Campus.

"A formal request has been sent to the DGHS to initiate the post-creation process for recruiting 5,000 doctors via a special BCS. We are currently awaiting their response. Once the DGHS submits the final proposal to us, it will be immediately forwarded to the Ministry of Public Administration for onward execution." — Sajib Ahmed, Senior Assistant Secretary, Health Services Division

Meanwhile, the DGHS stated that following the receipt of the ministry's letter, they are actively conducting the post-creation assessments according to protocol. Since the administrative compilation is extensive, the final list could not be handed over immediately but is expected to be processed within this week.

An official from the DGHS, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that the paperwork is in its final stages and the complete schedule of created posts is highly likely to be dispatched to the ministry by Wednesday or Thursday.

On the other hand, the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) is yet to receive any formal executive order or requisition from the Ministry of Public Administration to initiate the special BCS proceedings. However, the commission remains fully prepared to publish the official circular and conduct the screening examinations as soon as the government directive is logged.

When asked about the upcoming recruitment drive, PSC Chairman Professor Mobasser Monem told The Daily Campus that the commission has not received any official correspondence regarding a special BCS for doctors. He emphasized that the PSC is fully equipped to take rapid and necessary actions the moment the executive notification arrives.