Govt hospitals running without superintendents

A committee is expected to appoint new MS in BBH, HFH, District Headquarters Hospital and other hospitals

RAWALPINDI: Despite the government’s declared priority towards health, posts of medical superintendents at 14 government hospitals of Punjab, including Rawalpindi, are being run on ad hoc basis with officers given temporary charge of the posts.

However, one of the posts was resolved on Wednesday after the provincial government decided to appoint suspended Benazir Bhutto General Hospital (BBH) medical superintendent (MS) Dr Tariq Niazi as the principal medical officer of the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) in basic pay scale (BPS) 20.

After many months of delay in appointing permanent MS in these hospitals, a five-member committee has been formed headed by Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid to interview potential candidates. The committee is expected to start its interviews from next week.

The committee will be headed by Dr Rashid and will include the University of Health Sciences Lahore Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Health Secretary and two retired professors Dr Shaukat Mehmood and Dr Zafar. The committee is expected to appoint a new MS in BBH, HFH, and the District Headquarters Hospital along with other hospitals.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2019.