K-P health dept seeks details of staffers involved in businesses

Details of officers working in BPS-17 and above sought in the first phase

PESHAWAR: In a bid to clamp down on conflicting interest between employees of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health department and some health-related businesses operating in the province, the department will verify whether any employees own or have shares in health facilities, pharmaceutical companies, medical educational institutions or nursing colleges.

In a letter to the director general of K-P Health Services Directorate, the K-P Health Department has sought details of all of its senior officials, starting from those working in Basic Pay Scale (BPS) grade 17 and above in phase I of the plan. Phase II will follow thereafter where details of all junior officers would be sought.

The health department has directed that the process should be completed within 45 days, using a suggested proforma. Moreover, this information will also be uploaded to the health department’s website.

Health department officials, with knowledge of the move, stated that they had received complaints that some employees of the health services directorate were also involved in running health-related businesses unbeknownst to the department. These employees, the officials said, had even been appointed to key administration positions in a direct conflict of interest.

The letter added that apart from gathering information about their employees, the health directorate must also seek out whether employees or their families (dependents alone as defined in government rules) are listed as owners or partners in any private hospital or health facility across the country.

“Sole ownership, partnership in any pharmaceutical business across the country, including manufacture, supply, or sale in the name of the employee and or in the name of family members, besides sole ownership or partnership in medical education, paramedical, nursing colleges as well,” it read.

The letter also notes that health department should report employees who are identified as members of a board, company or management of an institution related to health services, medical education or any institution or firm related to health.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2017.