KARACHI: Supreme Court of Pakistan's bench, headed by Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani has withdrawn stay given to the managers of different vertical health care programs by Sindh High Court against their removal by the provincial government.
Sindh Secretary of Health, Iqbal Hussain Durrani told APP Wednesday that the provincial government as a policy decided to appoint qualified doctors necessarily holding an additional degree of MPH for the directorship and managerial posts of 12 vertical health programs of the province.
These programs including Expanded Program on Immunization, Hepatitis Prevention and Control Program etc are generally registered to be failing in achieving their goals despite hefty funding and passage of long years.
"It was in February this year that we invited fresh applications for the posts and a committee comprising senior medical professionals was also constituted to make final selection for the positions," said the secretary.
He mentioned that the case was taken by the removed officials to the high court and stay was ordered, however, the Supreme Court that had taken sou-motto notice of Thar famine and held a special hearing in its Karachi Registry only recently ordered withdrawal of the stay.
"It was an opportunity that helped us to inform the Supreme Court of the country about the difficulties faced by the health department in delivering to the masses," said Iqbal Hussain Durrani.
The Sindh Health Secretary reiterated his commitment to end the culture of nepotism and favoritism in the department mentioning that he was also facing the grave challenge of absentee doctors, assigned at no less than 400 different posts, in BPS 17, also drawing hefty salaries.
"Some of them are absent for their duties since 1997 and no action has been taken," he said mentioning that 99 of these 400 plus doctors have not even bothered to respond to the show-cause notices issued to them.
"We are in process to issue their dismissal orders and also initiate relevant disciplinary action against the remaining 300 plus," he said.
The health secretary in reply to a question also mentioned that even during the recent emergency in Tharparkar the health department had posted 35 doctors, however only eight reported.
"Other simply did not turnup and this is being taken-up very seriously without succumbing to any sort of pressure," said Iqbal Hussain Durrani.
About the recent recruitment of doctors and paramedics on two year contract at different government facilities in Tharparkar, he said professionals holding domicile of the very areas have been preferred.
"We have also evolved a mechanism to ensure that they also actually live there," he said mentioning that appointment letters to these doctors are being issued on due confirmation that they actually live in their areas of appointment.
To another query, he said the appointment have been made on absolute basis of merit and for the purpose tests of all candidates was held at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) followed by interview by a board comprising senior professors.
About appointments of doctors and paramedics in other remote areas of the province, the secretary said as a matter of principle every doctor, nurse and paramedic, inducted into the health department, will be necessarily required to serve atleast for one year in his or her area of domicile.
"Moreover, we will also offer fresh graduates, on completion of their 12 months house job, to continue with house job for an additional period of six months at the facilities located in the districts they belong to," he said.
Comments
Comments are closed.