The Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Health Cadre Association protested and rejected today the reported recommendation by the Public Administration Reform Commission to exclude the health cadre from the cadre structure.

The decision came without any discussion with them and such decisions may lead to a halt in the country's healthcare management and services, said health cadres at a press conference at Abdus Salam Hall of National Press Club in the capital this afternoon.

The BCS Health Cadre Association organised the press conference protesting the recommendation of Public Administration Reform Commission.

Read more

End the culture of supernumerary promotions in civil admin

While speaking at the conference, Umme Tania Nasrin, secretary general of the association, said, ''We have learned that the Public Administration Reform Commission is planning to recommend excluding BCS Education Cadre and BCS Health Cadre from the cadre structure. BCS Health Cadre Association, the spokesperson for 35,000 members, strongly rejects such unilateral reform proposals.''

She said, ''The drafting and publicising of such proposals by the reform commission without any consultation with representatives of the BCS Health Cadre is neither prudent nor considerate. This reflects a clear lack of expertise in healthcare management.''

Mohammad Neamot Hossain, convener of BCS Health Cadre Association, said that in recent times, non-medical officials in the Secretariat have failed to make the healthcare sector scientific and modern. Instead, they have taken a regressive approach, establishing a bureaucratic health management system.

He said, as a result, the healthcare sector is yet to achieve its desired goals. Instead of becoming a people-oriented healthcare sector, it has turned into a capitalist and interest-driven system catering to ministers and bureaucrats.

Read more

Qualitative political change key to administrative reforms

The BCS Health Cadre will not take any responsibility for any negative consequences arising from this situation, he said.

On December 17, Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, who is heading the Public Administration Reform Commission, said that he finds the inclusion of education and health in the civil service cadres "irrational", as these are specialised departments and should be excluded from the cadres as recommended.