The frontline fighters in the war against novel coronavirus, doctors and nurses, have started facing double whammy in the crisis due to corona pandemic.
Health workers in the private services are now becoming victims of salary cuts and terminations amidst the large-scale virus infection among them.
A good number of private clinics and diagnostic centres, including some major private hospitals, in the city and elsewhere in the country provided half of the monthly salary of March and April and terminate many of them citing low income in the time of coronavirus, victims told the FE.
On the other hand, there are as many as 324 doctors and about 250 nurses and other health workers tested positive to Covid-19 in discharging their duties to fight coronavirus in the hospitals which they described as a deep crisis to the service holders.
This correspondent got a copy of office order of Bangladesh Institute of Health Sciences (BIHS) general hospital that said it provided half of the monthly salary to all its staff due to low presence of patients during coronavirus pandemic, and it would meet the dues after the situation comes to normal.
A doctor of the BIHS told the FE, seeking not to be named, that they received half of their regular salaries on Thursday for March without any prior notice and discussion over the matter.
Another doctor at the Ad-din Akij Medical College, Khulna -- requesting not to be named-- told the FE that their activities are open through online especially at the college section but they all received half of the monthly salary while some other hospitals in the city provided less than half.
Situation at Jassore town also marked the same, according to doctors and their association.
Everyday we get information of salary cuts, but most of the victims could not openly express reactions over the matter fearing termination by their management, Chairman of Bangladesh Doctors' Foundation (BDF) Dr Md Shahed Rafi Pavel told the FE.
Besides, "There is no service policy for the private sector and no organisational body from the government side is available to monitor the unprofessional approach and oversee the sector," he added saying "such absences have created opportunity for the hospitals to exercise supreme power unabatedly."
All the private hospitals, clinics, diagnostics centres and medical colleges across the country have long been facing the crisis of unprofessional behaviour in distributing salary, determine salary standard, retainment and job termination, and the scenario has worsened badly during the coronavirus pandemic, he added.
We are also receiving information from Dhaka and elsewhere of termination of health workers in private healthcare. But when we contact hospital authorities, they denied or refrained from making comments on it, he continued.
There are at about 60,000 doctors involved in the private sector while some 40,000 are government service holders, according to sector insiders.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Private Clinic Diagnostic Owners Association or BPCDOA Dr ABM Haroon admitted that some hospitals provided half of regular salaries, and there were incidents of terminations.
"We found such incidents of salary cuts and terminations in some private hospitals in Dhaka and out of the city. We held video conferences with our members and urged all not to terminate anyone in this situation and call for support for health workers with patience until the situation turns to normal."
"We also asked the private hospitals, if government financial assistance is not made, then hold dialogue with doctors and other staff for alternative arrangement like leave without pay for the time being (month-long to year-long) considering the condition," he added.
"The sector is facing serious crises as hospitals hardly witness even 10 per cent patients in the time of corona pandemic. Besides, a single hospital has to bear Tk 20 to 30 million for salary purpose which is now a big deal for us, but we could manage (salaries of staff) what we have in our hand for more two or three months," Dr ABM Haroon, also managing director of Samorita Hospital, mentioned.
We, again, say do not terminate anyone in such a crisis considering their service in the sector and for the respective hospitals because it is not appreciating for the sector, Dr Haroon underlined.
