Nearly 89,000 doctors need to meet WHO standards: Sakhawat 

Bangladesh currently has a shortage of 58,598 doctors against the number required under international standards, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain told Parliament on Monday.

According to the minister, the country needs 88,909 doctors in 2026 based on the World Health Organization’s minimum standard of 0.50 doctors per 1,000 people. However, only 30,311 doctors are currently working in the country.

He disclosed the figures in a written reply to a question from Bogura-4 MP Md Mosharraf Hossain during the question-answer session of the third session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad. The session began at 3pm with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram in the chair.

The minister said government hospitals have 41,806 sanctioned posts for doctors, of which 30,311 are currently filled, leaving 11,495 vacant positions.

He said the required number of doctors is determined by considering both international and national health workforce standards. A government-funded study found that Bangladesh would need around 88,909 doctors in 2026 to meet the WHO’s minimum standard.

However, Sakhawat clarified that the total number of doctors in the country is not the same as the number employed in the government healthcare system.

He said the government has already taken several recruitment initiatives to fill vacant posts and increase the number of doctors according to public needs. A significant number of doctors have been recruited through the 44th and 48th special BCS examinations, while recruitment of assistant surgeons through the 45th, 46th, 47th and 50th BCS examinations is underway.

The minister said vacant posts in government health facilities would be filled gradually, while new posts would be created where necessary to ensure accessible, quality and people-friendly healthcare.