Rat race? Doctor goes to court over promotion delays

Says he was held back due to pending inquiry into rat bite incident

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench has directed the Punjab health department to make decision on a representation filed by a senior Holy Family Hospital doctor for early conclusion of a pending inquiry into an incident where a rat bit a newborn child in 2012.

LHC Justice Atir Mahmood on Monday directed the health department to decide the representation of Dr Tariq Masood Khan Niazi, HFH additional administration medical superintendent, within four weeks. The doctor filed the petition with the high court against the health department for not promoting him to grade 20 because an inquiry was pending against him and 10 others.

Dr Niazi had petitioned the court stating that the preliminary inquiry did not hold him responsible for the incident. In the wee hours of November 26, 2012, a rat bit a newborn in the HFH labour room. He said that the initial inquiry held eight officials responsible for the incident.

The petitioner said that Irum Bukhari, who was Punjab women development secretary at the time, was the inquiry officer. After a lapse of two years she had included him and two other senior doctors in the list of people responsible for the incident.

Dr. Niazi had stated that the delay in conclusion of the inquiry was holding back his promotion.

To further his case, the petitioner said that the health department had promoted Dr Muhammad Shoukat Pervaiz to BPS-20 despite the fact that the doctor had been facing an inquiry into alleged embezzlement at HFH since 2010.

The petitioner said he filed a representation before Punjab health secretary on April 5, 2016 for early conclusion of the pending inquiry and to consider him for promotion to grade 20. He said that the secretary had not responded to him yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2016.