IHC rebukes health secretary for not re-opening PMDC
Orders removal of obstacles placed to stop the entry of council employees
Islamabad High Court. PHOTO COURTESY: IHC WEBSITE
ISLAMABAD:
The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Secretary Zahid Saeed came under severe criticism from a high court on Tuesday for failing to open the building of the apex regulator of medical education and practitioners in the country, despite orders to do so.
The court subsequently ordered the immediately remove all obstacles and security personnel deployed to prevent the entry of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) employees into the council’s building. It also barred anyone from the ministry and the relevant precinct to visit the council’s building for any purpose.
The rebuke came as a single-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard a contempt plea filed by the PMDC Registrar Brig (retired) Dr Hafeezuddin Ahmed Siddiqui on Tuesday.
At the outset of Tuesday’s hearing, the court directed the health secretary to remove all obstacles which have been placed outside the PMDC building immediately. Justice Kayani further asked the restored registrar to start working in his office with minimum staff from today (Tuesday).
The government has already made a fool of itself in the world by dissolving the PMDC, Justice Kayani remarked. He added that in the absence of a regulatory body, medical practitioners of the country have been waiting for months to have their licences renewed, while fresh medical graduates were seeking certificates to kick-start their professional careers.
Clarifying his role in the entire matter, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqaat claimed that he had never visited the council’s offices, nor had he ordered anyone to seal it.
At this, Justice Kayani rebuked the health secretary and stated, “you have a lot of other work to do during the coronavirus pandemic instead of this.”
Justifying the measure to seal the council’s building, Saeed contended that even though the mass gathering of people was banned, the registrar has been visiting the offices of the council with as many as 34 staffers.
The court, however, reprimanded the government official and inquired who was he to determine who should come to work and who should not.
“The registrar has a better idea which employees are needed,” Justice Kayani added.
Saeed, however, asserted that he had sought a briefing from the PMDC registrar in which the officer had failed to satisfy him.
The court, however, brushed the explanations given by Saeed aside and warned him that this was the last time he was being summoned to court.
“We know how to do things the other way,” Justice Kayani remarked.
The bench went on to bar officials of the health ministry and even the SHO of the relevant police station from visiting the council’s building for any purpose.
At this, Saeed urged the court to allow them to visit the council’s building once so that they can retrieve critical records.
At this, Justice Kayani directed the registrar to file a plea if any of the relevant records are found missing.
“You are mistreating the doctors,” the judge told the secretary. The health ministry official clarified that he had heard every complainant who came to him.
Justice Kayani responded by saying, “Do you consider yourself a king to hear pleas of the public?”
He added that the country is in a state of war against the pandemic and needs for its health services to work smoothly. The bench instructed the registrar to submit a daily report of the work he does to the secretary so that the later does not think that Dr Siddiqui was an enemy or had been planted by an enemy.
Saeed urged the court to instruct the registrar to shed light about the minimum strength of staff he will require to work in the PMDC’s offices.
He further requested the restored employees of PMDC not make any commotion and avoid calling members of the media there.
At this, the court ordered the registrar to provide a list of staffers he would like to work with due to the safety precautions for the pandemic and adjourned the case until April 13.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2020.
The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Secretary Zahid Saeed came under severe criticism from a high court on Tuesday for failing to open the building of the apex regulator of medical education and practitioners in the country, despite orders to do so.
The court subsequently ordered the immediately remove all obstacles and security personnel deployed to prevent the entry of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) employees into the council’s building. It also barred anyone from the ministry and the relevant precinct to visit the council’s building for any purpose.
The rebuke came as a single-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard a contempt plea filed by the PMDC Registrar Brig (retired) Dr Hafeezuddin Ahmed Siddiqui on Tuesday.
At the outset of Tuesday’s hearing, the court directed the health secretary to remove all obstacles which have been placed outside the PMDC building immediately. Justice Kayani further asked the restored registrar to start working in his office with minimum staff from today (Tuesday).
The government has already made a fool of itself in the world by dissolving the PMDC, Justice Kayani remarked. He added that in the absence of a regulatory body, medical practitioners of the country have been waiting for months to have their licences renewed, while fresh medical graduates were seeking certificates to kick-start their professional careers.
Clarifying his role in the entire matter, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqaat claimed that he had never visited the council’s offices, nor had he ordered anyone to seal it.
At this, Justice Kayani rebuked the health secretary and stated, “you have a lot of other work to do during the coronavirus pandemic instead of this.”
Justifying the measure to seal the council’s building, Saeed contended that even though the mass gathering of people was banned, the registrar has been visiting the offices of the council with as many as 34 staffers.
The court, however, reprimanded the government official and inquired who was he to determine who should come to work and who should not.
“The registrar has a better idea which employees are needed,” Justice Kayani added.
Saeed, however, asserted that he had sought a briefing from the PMDC registrar in which the officer had failed to satisfy him.
The court, however, brushed the explanations given by Saeed aside and warned him that this was the last time he was being summoned to court.
“We know how to do things the other way,” Justice Kayani remarked.
The bench went on to bar officials of the health ministry and even the SHO of the relevant police station from visiting the council’s building for any purpose.
At this, Saeed urged the court to allow them to visit the council’s building once so that they can retrieve critical records.
At this, Justice Kayani directed the registrar to file a plea if any of the relevant records are found missing.
“You are mistreating the doctors,” the judge told the secretary. The health ministry official clarified that he had heard every complainant who came to him.
Justice Kayani responded by saying, “Do you consider yourself a king to hear pleas of the public?”
He added that the country is in a state of war against the pandemic and needs for its health services to work smoothly. The bench instructed the registrar to submit a daily report of the work he does to the secretary so that the later does not think that Dr Siddiqui was an enemy or had been planted by an enemy.
Saeed urged the court to instruct the registrar to shed light about the minimum strength of staff he will require to work in the PMDC’s offices.
He further requested the restored employees of PMDC not make any commotion and avoid calling members of the media there.
At this, the court ordered the registrar to provide a list of staffers he would like to work with due to the safety precautions for the pandemic and adjourned the case until April 13.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2020.