Bangladesh’s doctors and nurses earn the lowest pay in South Asia, experts warn of healthcare impact

Bangladesh's doctors and nurses receive the lowest average salaries in South Asia, lagging far behind neighbouring countries and up to 30 times less than in developed nations, raising concerns about the quality of healthcare and workforce retention, experts said.

The warning came during a discussion on "Salary Policy for Government and Private Health Workforce: Current Realities, Challenges, and Recommendations," held yesterday at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka. The event was organised by the Alliance for Health Reforms, Bangladesh, and brought together policymakers, academics, and health professionals.

Prof Syed Abdul Hamid of the Institute of Health Economics, University of Dhaka, presided over the session, while Prof Syed Akram Hossain, Chairman of the Clinical Oncology Department at Bangladesh Medical University and member of the Health Sector Reform Commission, presented the keynote paper.

Prof Hossain revealed that the average annual salary of a doctor in Bangladesh is only Tk3 lakh, compared with Tk98 lakh in the UK and Tk11 lakh in Singapore. 

Nurses also face a significant pay gap. In neighbouring India, doctors earn Tk16 lakh per year on average, and nurses Tk6 lakh, roughly double the Bangladesh rate, while Nepal also offers comparatively higher salaries.

He warned that such disparities not only dampen professional motivation but also drive skilled doctors to seek employment abroad, undermining the local health system. "Increasing remuneration for doctors and nurses would strengthen the sector and reduce the brain drain. The government is already preparing steps to address this," Prof Hossain said.

Speakers at the session called for a distinct pay policy and the creation of a separate pay commission for healthcare professionals, recommending that salaries and allowances be rationalised and updated every three years.

Prof A K Azad Khan, President of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association and Chair of the Health Sector Reform Commission, emphasised, "Effective human resource management is crucial for health sector development. 

The current salary structure weakens the foundation of healthcare. Discrepancies in pay across public and private sectors affect not only skills and motivation but also the overall quality of healthcare services in the country."

Other participants included Prof Syed Atikul Haq of the Pay Commission, Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed of the Labour and Health Reform Commission, Prof Shahina Sobhan Mitu of the Public Administration Reform Commission, Dr Md Jahirul Islam Shakil, Secretary of the Dhaka Association of Doctors, and Prof Dr Mahmood Hossain, Secretary of NDF.