Health services in bad shape

More than 100 top posts remain vacant for months, hampering health directorate’s work

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) fails to function properly, as there are no permanent officers in more than 100 top executive posts while many remain vacant for months.

The post of the director general (DG) and two additional directors general (ADG) are currently held by the director and officers of current charge on a temporary basis. Two other posts of ADGs lie vacant for seven months.

The DGHS is responsible for formulating and implementing health policies and ensuring health services to the people across the country.

It also controls and monitors the quality of private hospitals, clinics and medical education. In addition, it is tasked with transfer and posting of junior consultants, medical officers, upazila health and family planning officers.

But the national health body is crippling due to lack of regular manpower in key posts.

DGHS officials said they sent names of around 400 junior consultants to the health ministry in May last year for promotion. More than seven months later, the ministry last week sent back the list terming it incomplete, and in many cases incorrect.

They added that bureaucratic tangle is also impeding their activities.

“Since 1989, nobody could serve as director (administration) for more than two years. Most of them worked for five to six months,” said Abul Hasnat, the director-in-charge (administration) of DGHS.

He has been serving in the post for 15 months and will go on leave prior to retirement (LPR) by end of this month.

Mumtazuddin Bhuiyan, director of hospital and clinic, said, many directors are appointed for even one month. He observed that it does not work actually, as it takes someone at least two months to understand the overall activities.

“One cannot take any decision in such a short time,” he told The Daily Star.

One hundred thirty-nine posts of assistant director or equivalent level under the DGHS were vacant for several months. The government early this month filled 45 posts through promotion.

Of the 47 posts of director, eight go vacant. They include the post of director HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Leprosy, Medical Education, Disease Control, Finance, Institute of Public Health (IPH) and Suhrawardi Hospital.

IPH has no director for more over months. Bazlul Haque, who recently took charge as acting director, said he is yet to grasp his job.

To improve the health sector, the government in the last two years created 16 posts of director, deputy director and assistant director. All but four of them are vacant.

Prof Rashid E Mahbub, president of Health Rights Movement National Committee, said the DGHS cannot ensure better health service if it cripples due to manpower shortage.

Mahbuba Zannat
Source: The Daily Star, Jan 29, 2011