Health official accused of tampering with record to serve an extra year

She allegedly changed her date of birth by one year to postpone retirement

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Nasreen Memon has come under investigation for tampering her date of birth by one year owing to which she got another year to serve in the department, from April 2019 to April 2020. The health department began an inquiry on a complaint reportedly from the staff of the Hyderabad DHO office.

Although her date of birth is mentioned as April 5, 1960, in her national identity card, her academic record from the Hyderabad Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, notes April 5, 1959, as her birth date. "As per the office record the correct date of birth is 5, 4, 1959," reads the letter of controller examination of Hyderabad BISE Dr Masroor Zai. "...particulars of the candidate as required by you have been checked and found tampered." The letter was written to health authorities in response to the verification of matriculation certificate request submitted to the board.

The health department provided the DHO's matriculation certificate number and seat number for the year 1974 for verification.

Dr Zai confirmed that his office received correspondence in that regard from the health department and the letter confirming the tampering of record was subsequently sent in reply. "It surfaced during inquiry that the record was manipulated," he said.

Dr Memon, on her part, claims that she is an honest officer and that she has been framed by some clerks against whom she recently took action. "I took action on complaint of lady health workers who accused them of taking bribes." She asserted that she did not tamper her record.

A clerk of the DHO office who spoke to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity admitted that he pointed out the authorities about the forgery. But he denied that any punitive action against him or his colleagues was the motivation.

According to the date stated in the record of Hyderabad BISE, Dr Memon attained the age of retirement on April 5, 2019. Health director general could not be contacted to inform what action will be taken against the DHO if the forgery is established.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2019.