Apex court issues notices to federal, provincial health departments.
PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD: The apex court has been moved against an alleged pick-and-choose policy adopted by the capital’s hospitals in repatriating health officials to their respective departments.
The Supreme Court has issued notices to the federal and provincial health departments seeking an explanation over the matter.
A complainant, Muhammad Shafi Hamid, had appealed to the top court that in light of its 2015 order, officials of various departments were repatriated to their respective departments. But in hospitals, only some health officials were sent to their parent departments while favorites were spared. The officials responsible for this ‘pick-and-choose’ policy had submitted misleading reports to the court to cover the matter up.
In this regard, Hamid alleged that at least three officials, due to be sent back to their provincial departments in Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh, were still working at two major hospitals in the capital owing to alleged political influence of Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD).
The officials were identified as Dr Raja Amjad Mahmood and Dr Mutahir Shah at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Dr Masood Ghani at the Federal Government Services Hospital (Polyclinic Hospital).
Dr Mahmood, a BPS-18 grade officer, is currently serving as the director of the children’s hospital at PIMS. He was deputed at the Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi when he was transferred to the capital to fill the vacant role of deputy executive director, a BS-19 grade position, complete with the pay and scale. His deputation in September 2004 was originally set to last for three years.
He was absorbed on August 23, 2005, as the DED BS-19. Within two months of being transferred from Punjab to the federal government, he was promoted to BS-19 as DED by counting his provincial service, contrary to the rules.
Subsequently on March 24, 2008, Dr Mahmood’s promotion was regularised as the director of PIMS’ children’s hospital. Later, on May 7, 2009, he was promoted to BS-20 by counting his provincial service in BPS-17 and 18 and subsequent service at PIMS.
The petition further claimed that Dr Mahmood was then transferred to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) as a registrar, where he served as a front man of former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain. The petition alleges that during his time at PMDC, Dr Mahmood was involved in illegal registrations of bogus medical colleges in Pakistan.
Dr Asim, the former vice president and council member of PMDC and chairman of Ziauddin Group of Hospitals in Karachi is currently in the custody of law enforcement agencies on charges of embezzlement and for providing medical assistance to militants.
Dr Mahmood, the petition further alleges, received Rs1.5 million from a foreign medical graduate, Waris Khan, to register him. But the student was later murdered and an FIR was registered against Dr Mahmood along with a Dr Ajmal.
Recently, an additional sessions judge in Rawalpindi framed murder charges against Dr Mahmood, Dr Ajmal and PMDC’s former president Prof Masood Hameed.
Taking notice of the petition, the top court has issued notices to Secretary CADD, secretaries of health in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan along with the three doctors named in the petition.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2016.
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