Editorial
Public hospitals shorthanded
Urgent action called for
The health sector is facing an acute crisis of physicians due to brain drain of specialist doctors from public to private hospitals. An exclusive report in a popular Bangla Daily has narrated how the doctors who earned their degrees from government medical colleges are leaving their jobs to work in the private hospitals for higher salaries. And this constant drain is telling upon the state of public health of the country. This is in addition to the doctors posted at district levels and rural stations preferring to move to the capital city.
At present half of the around four and a half thousand specialist doctors' posts have fallen vacant. The poor are the ultimate victim of this situation. Though it is the lure of the city and of better prospect that have drawn them out of their previously assigned locations, some of their grievances cannot also be dismissed out of hand. Apart from the common resentments about poor pay, lack of necessary infrastructure to accommodate their families at their places of posting in rural areas, many raised other concerns having to do with their career advancement. Postings and promotions, more often than not, are allegedly awarded more on partisan considerations than on merit. The situation has aggravated after the year 2000, many of the doctors complained. Transfers also follow the same rule.
In view of the realities on the ground, one cannot lay the blame entirely at the specialist physicians' doorsteps.
Does it then imply that the public hospitals where the poor patients can afford to get some treatment will continue to suffer from paucity of expert doctors? But we cannot hope to resolve the crisis through exhortations or giving the doctors a good talking-to. The situation needs addressing with pragmatism and prudence. While the doctors' genuine problems have to be solved, they must also be reminded of their sacred duty to the people.
In fine, the government needs to go all-out to take urgent action in the matter.
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