(BSS) - Only 30,311 doctors are currently working in government hospitals across Bangladesh against 41,806 approved posts.

"According to a government-funded study conducted this year, Bangladesh needs around 88,909 doctors to meet the WHO`s minimum standard of 0.50 doctors per 1,000 population," Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain told parliament today.

The minister said this while replying to a scripted question from BNP lawmaker Md Mosharraf Hossain (Bogura-4) during the question-and-answer session.

The sitting began around 3:00pm with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, in the chair.

Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said international and national health workforce standards are taken into consideration when determining the number of doctors required in proportion to the country`s population.

However, the minister noted that the total number of doctors in the country is not the same as the number working in the government healthcare system.

He said the government has already taken various recruitment initiatives to fill 11,495 vacant posts in government healthcare institutions and increase the number of doctors.

"A significant number of doctors have been recruited through the 44th and 48th special BCS examinations, while the recruitment of assistant surgeons through the 45th, 46th, 47th and 50th BCS examinations is also underway," he said.

Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said the government will continue its recruitment drive to gradually fill vacant posts in government healthcare institutions.

He said new posts would also be created as necessary to ensure accessible, quality and people-friendly healthcare services for the people.