Health and Family Welfare Adviser Dr Zubaida Rahman announced that the government is recruiting 100,000 healthcare workers, of whom 80 percent will be women. Speaking on Saturday (November 14), she stated that the new workers will take preventive healthcare services to people's doorsteps.

Healthcare for women in 90,000 villages

Dr Zubaida noted that millions of women across more than 90,000 villages in Bangladesh are suffering from preventable illnesses. She expressed optimism that this large-scale recruitment drive will bring these women under the healthcare coverage. The new healthcare workforce will primarily focus on delivering preventive care at the grassroots level, which is being viewed as a timely and effective initiative for underserved communities.

A significant step for women's empowerment

The recruitment initiative is also being seen as a major step toward women's empowerment. The decision to reserve 80 percent of the positions for women will not only increase female participation in the health sector but also create employment opportunities for rural women. The health adviser emphasized that women's involvement is essential to ensuring healthcare delivery, as women play the most critical role in building health awareness within families and communities.

Implementation and next steps

The government is expected to begin the implementation process following this announcement. The recruitment procedure is anticipated to be transparent and merit-based. The health ministry has also outlined plans for providing necessary training and logistical support to ensure the program's successful execution. The recruitment of such a large number of healthcare workers at once is unprecedented in the country's health sector history, further reinforcing the government's commitment to expanding healthcare services.