Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has not yet paid salary and bonuses to the newly appointed doctors and nurses as it has not adequate fund in its hand.

It sought Tk 580 crore to pay extra salary and bonuses to the newly appointed doctors and nurses for current fiscal. The DGHS  sought 58.34 crore from finance division to pay the newly appointed doctors and nurses for Covid-19 hospitals for their one month and 19 days service, finance ministry sources said.

DGHS deputy secretary Susil Kumar Pal on Thursday in a letter also sought Tk 329 crore for 2020-21 fiscal year for salaries and allowance of the same group.

The DGHS is estimated that more doctors and nurses to be needed to meet actual demands of COVID-19 dedicated hospitals. Earlier, the DGHS sought Tk 180 crore as bonuses to doctors working at remote areas who  are working in corona dedicated hospitals.

Newly temporarily recruited 2,000 doctors and 5,054 nurses as started service from May 12 at the posts given by DGHS and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

In case of absence of any doctors on the date, he/she will be considered as not willing to join and the temporary appointment will be cancelled, the notification said.

Newly-appointed doctors will have to serve the COVID-19 patients and if their service is not satisfactory that will be considered while recruiting them permanently.The doctors will get a salary of Tk 22,000-53,060 under national pay scale, 2015.

In outgoing 2019-20 fiscal year budget the health ministry allocated Tk 608 crore for salaries and allowances.

Dr Faiezul Hakim, Convener, Jonosastho Songram Porishod told Business Mirror that the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs failed to assess the actual need of the pandemic. It also failed to restore confidence to the doctors and staff so that they could feel safe at their work.