Service structure in government hospitals: SC issues notices to Secretary Health, AG & ED PIMS

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to secretary health, attorney general for Pakistan and executive director (ED) Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in a contempt of court case pertaining to service structure in the federal government hospitals. While hearing a case on illegal appointments in federal capital's hospitals, Justice Gulzar Ahmed said that the condition of hospitals in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is going from bad to worse, as doctors in both the provinces are on strike.

He said that the court does not want to interfere in matters of hospitals, adding Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has also been dissolved. "A new commission has been formed so let's see what happens," he added. On February 13, the apex court had given a three-month time to complete a new service structure policy to regulate the postings and promotions of doctors in the federal capital as it disposed of a case relating to illegal appointments in government-run hospitals in the city.

The counsel for doctors, who had taken the issue to the court, said that despite passage of three months after the court order, nothing has been done in this regard. He said that a doctor named Shumaila, who has 13 gold medals in her credit, is still working in grade-17, which shows what the promotion policy of the medics in capital is. The court adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019