PM approves recruitment of 3,000 medical technologists-technicians

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has approved a proposal to recruit 3,000 medical technologists, technicians and cardiographers soon to improve the Covid-19 test and healthcare services.

They will be recruited against the new posts created for 1,200 technologists, 1,650 technicians and 150 cardiographers.

Thanks to the prime minister's intervention, the long-pending proposal for appointment of a huge number of medical technologists and technicians is going to be implemented. 

Last month, the government recruited some 2,000 physicians and 5,054 nurses to bring qualitative change to the standard of the healthcare services following the coronavirus outbreak.

The Health Services Division sent a proposal to recruit 3,000 technologists, technicians and cardiographers yesterday morning and the prime minister gave her consent immediately.

Health Services Division's Additional Secretary Habibur Rahman Khan said the wing concerned of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) are jointly working in the recruitment for the posts.

"The recruitment will be made soon following the prime minister's directives," he told UNB.

According to the proposal, some 2,000 physicians were recruited on May 12 and 5,054 nurses on May 10 to provide services to Covid-19 patients following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

Now, massive activities including test and diagnosis of diseases and collection of samples are being carried out in the country. But it is not possible to conduct these activities smoothly with the existing number of medical technologists and medical technicians, it said.

'RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE TO TAKE ONE WEEK'

Bangladesh's confirmed coronavirus cases jumped to 57,563 on Thursday with the detection of 2,423 new cases. In the last 24 hours until morning, 35 patients died, taking the death toll to 781.

During this period, 50 laboratories across the country tested 12,694 samples and found 19.09 percent of them to positive.

Initially, Covid-19 test was conducted at one laboratory, but now it is being done at dozens of labs and the lab services will be expanded quickly. This is why, 3,000 posts -- including 1,200 medical technologists (Grade-XI), 1,650 medical technicians (Grade-XVI) and 150 cardiographers (Grade-XVI) -- were created.

"It is essential to recruit soon against the posts for the sake of conducting Covid-19 test and medical activities," said the proposal.

Meanwhile, 183 medical technologists have already been recruited at different hospitals and health institutes on temporary basis. They are now rendering services to the Covid-19 patients risking their lives. It requires consent from the president to appoint the 183 technologists directly to the created posts as per the General Clauses Act 1897, said the proposal.

Another Additional Secretary of the Health Services Division Sheikh Muzibar Rahman said 183 technologists, who have been working for last one-two years at 23 hospitals and medical institutes, will be recruited directly against the created posts as they are now providing the services to Covid-19 patients risking their lives.

The recruitment will also be made to the rest 2,817 posts soon following the normal procedure, he told UNB.

"If we get approval to appoint the 183 technologists permanently, it may take one week to complete the recruitment procedure," he said.