Dhaka: Irked by the continuous absence of doctors at upazila-level hospitals, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said how rural people will get their basic medicare services if this culture continues.

‘We’ve taken various steps to upgrade upazila hospitals…we’ve upgrade the ten-bed hospitals to 50-bed ones. There should be at least 10 doctors in every hospital but in some places only one doctor is there—at best four. Doctors aren’t staying there (upazilas),’ she lamented.

The Prime Minister said this while addressing the Physicians’ Conference 2018 at her official residence Ganobhaban, reports the UNB.

Sheikh Hasina said how people will avail of medicare services if the posted doctors do not attend their duties in their stations. ‘This is my question, we’ve created posts. Doctors are given postings but we aren’t getting doctors there. ‘Why people are being neglected!’

Sheikh Hasina clearly mentioned that the people of the country do not expect such an attitude from the doctors who have got government jobs. ‘I request you (doctors) all to think about it.’

Presided over by BMA president Dr Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin, the programme was addressed, among others, by Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim, State Minister Dr Zahid Maleque, president of the Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania Dr Ravindran R Naidu, BMA secretary general Dr. Md. Ehteshamul Huq Choudhury and BMA Vice President (Dhaka City) Dr Kanak Kanti Barua.

Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated the programme through hoisting the national flag and releasing white doves.