Dentists demand special appointment

Dental surgeons who passed 39th special Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination expressed frustration over the recent recruitment of 2,000 doctors, as none of them were included in the list.

DGHS recommended the health secretary to appoint 300 dental surgeons on ad-hoc basis, but the ministry said more discussion is needed regarding recruitment.

A press release issued on behalf of the 39th BCS-passed dentists said dental services have been disrupted in hospitals, and dental surgeons are contracting Covid-19. "So far, at least 22 dentists got infected in public and private hospitals," it said.

"Each upazila hospital has one dental surgeon post. If the doctor in the post gets infected, the whole department must be closed," added the release.

"It is in the nation's interest to recruit 300 dental surgeons from those who have passed 39th and previous BCS exams, on merit basis," said Prof Abul Kalam Bepari, director (dental) of DGHS, in a letter to the health ministry on Monday.

Habibur Rahman Khan, additional secretary (admin) of the health ministry, told this newspaper that recruitment of dental surgeons was proposed, but authorities have not made any decision.