MA Salam, Dinajpur
MBBS doctors of government hospitals and Upazila health complexes in Dinajpur and other parts of the country expressed their agony and claimed that they were not paid for several months.
Doctors also alleged that they were deprived of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), mask and other stuffs to fight against the deadly disease (Covid-19) while treating patients. Doctors are the frontline fighters amid Coronavirus pandemic. More than 2,000 doctors in government hospitals are not getting paid. 39th BCS cadre doctors are the worst affected, they added.
According to Bangladesh Doctors Foundation, until Saturday, 540 doctors across the country have been infected by coronavirus.
Seeking anonymity one of the doctors from the 39th BCS cadre batch blamed health ministry for the mismanagement and negligence in upazila level health sector. The budget for this sector has been slashed every year. Health sector should get more budget and doctors need to be well equipped with PPE or other necessary safety gears. Doctors should get paid in due time as well, he further said.
According to Health Cadre Association, an organisation of BCS health cadres, the number of unpaid doctors is more than 2,000 now.
AM Selim Reza, president of the association, said, “Doctors are frontline fighters in the fight against coronavirus. Even at this time doctors are not being paid, it is inhumane and sad. Everyone has family and expenses. The ministry should solve this problem as soon as possible.”
The doctors of the Health Care Association have now sought intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to get their salary arrears.
After talking to at least 20 aggrieved doctors it was learnt that the salaries of doctors in all government hospitals in the country have been paid through a software called ‘IBS ++’. Each doctor has his own account in this software. They have to submit monthly salary bill from their own account.
Doctors have said that they are unable to submit the salary bills in software from many upazilas of the country. When it comes to submit salary bill, the app shows ‘Insufficient budget or insufficient allocation’. The accounts department of the upazila said that the problem is there due to non-allocation of doctors’ salaries.
Sources said, “Doctors of Comilla’s Burichang Upazila Health Complex, Chattogram’s Banshkhali Upazila Health Complex, Mahalchhari Upazila Health Complex in Khagrachhari, Nawabganj Health Complex in Dinajpur, Chandina Health Complex in Cumilla, Godagari in Rajshahi, Jamalpur Sadar, Cumilla’s Daudkandi, Narsingdi’s Raipura and Mymensingh’s Gaforgaon are in salary arrears for up to four months.”
A letter from the health department said an instalment was being allocated for salaries, allowances and supplies from April 15 to June 30. Everyone concerned is requested to be patient and check IBS ++ regularly.
Sheikh Manzur Rahman, Director (finance) of health department, told Bangladesh Post: “The allocation of salaries and allowances has started from April and will be cleared by June. The revised budget will be allocated for the 39th BCS doctors. There will be no salary complications within a few days.”