Health sector desperately looks for more female workers, say insiders

The country's health sector desperately looks for more female workers as they can make immense contributions to healthcare services, insiders at a discussion on Tuesday said.

Although women's participation increased in the sector over the past years, it is still considerably low, they added.

"When I plan to hire, I expect equal numbers of male and female applicants, but in reality, I find one woman against ten men," Rubaba Dowla, chief executive officer of Pulse digital healthcare, said at the event organised jointly by the Advancing Universal Health Coverage programme of the USAID and the Surjer Hashi Network at the Amari Hotel in the capital.

Several female leaders who have made contributions to the healthcare sector also took part in the event.

"To fill the big gap, we need to further promote women's participation in the health sector. The awareness can be raised from school-level education," she added and called for increased networking activities among women.

"It goes without saying that women work side by side with men, but now we have proved our larger contribution to healthcare as well as many other sectors," Professor Rubina Hamid, chairperson of the board of Surjer Hashi Network said and noted that the clinic managers of all the Surjer Hashi Network are the true champions.

Zahida Fizza Kabir, chief executive of Sajida Foundation, stated, "The world I'm involved with, I see many community health workers going around villages and impacting thousands of lives. Women caregivers, workers, and nurses are humble. Although they come from minimal educational backgrounds, they make a difference. I also feel that there is a lot that needs to be done for them."

USAID Project Management Specialist Farhana Akhter, and Surjer Hashi Network Chief Executive Officer Shaila Purvin, among others, also spoke at the event.