Makeshift management: Supreme Court directs hospitals to appoint permanent officials

Suo motu notice taken over alleged corruption charges

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court expressed their displeasure over officials on ad hoc appointments being kept in administrative positions in government hospitals of Islamabad. The Chief Justice Saqib Nisar heading a three member bench directed the concerned departments to appoint permanent officials.

The apex court was hearing a case of scanty health facilities in hospitals. They had taken a suo motu notice in 2016 on alleged corruption, due to their unreasonably expensive purchase of oxygen and nitrogen gas, and an untraced theft of medicines from Polyclinic Hospital.

The top court in previous hearings had directed the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) to submit a detailed report on the availability of medicines and the condition of machinery and other equipment in Islamabad’s public hospitals.



In a report submitted to the Supreme Court, Additional Attorney General Aamir Rehman had stated that the Board of Governors (BoG) of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University Islamabad would soon start the process of finding a suitable candidate for the post of the Executive Director Pims. An eligible candidate was expected to have the following qualifications, 20 years experience with a postgraduate degree in Hospital Management or an MBA in Human Resources.

However, as the separation of the hospital from the university is in process, both the institutions are run by their respective acting heads.

On March 12 the government also appointed Dr Shahid Hanif as acting head of the Polyclinic. The hospital has been run on an ad hoc basis for over two years as the process to appoint a permanent head lingers on due to various administrative complications.

On the query of the chief justice over ad hoc appointments the CADD Secretary Azhar Chaudhry said due to absence of relevant laws temporary appointments have been made.

The chief justice stated that the court does not want to intervene in every administrative matter.

He also objected the reinstatement of those officials of Polyclinic who purchased expensive oxygen and other gases. Furthermore, the CADD later re-notified suspension orders for doctors accused of the substandard and expensive gas procurement. Five doctors were members of the purchase committee of the hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2018.