The federal health ministry has summoned for Wednesday (today) a meeting of the departmental promotion committee (DPC) to review the long-pending promotions of doctors at two, large tertiary hospitals of the federal capital.
The committee will review the promotion cases for doctors of the Federal Government Hospital (Poly Clinic) and the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) from basic pay scale (BPS) grade 17 and 18 to the next grades.
The will be headed by the federal health ministry's additional secretary. The health ministry had sought working papers from the management of both hospitals in the second week of September to review promotions of doctors.
Sources in the two hospitals told The Express Tribune that several doctors have been promoted already this year in the last meeting of the DPC. However, several others missed out on a promotion.
In the last DPC, the doctors who were deputed to different federal government hospitals on the recommendations of the Khursheed Shah Committee during the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) tenure were left out. However, some 200 medical practitioners regularised on the suggestion of the committee were promoted.
Covid-19 impacts health system
With doctors and other health workers contracting the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) during the second wave, a shortage of medical and paramedical staff has been created at the three allied hospitals of Rawalpindi.
At the moment, officials claim there is a shortage of around 120 medical officers, 32 senior medical officers, registrars, 100 paramedical staff, 80 security guards, and 150 nurses in all the three allied hospitals including the District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital, the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and the Holy Family Hospital (HFH).
The shortage is affecting operations in the Outpatient Departments (OPDs), and other wards.
Sources said that the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) has been instructed to recruit additional staff and advertisements in this regard have already been issued. These recruitments are expected to be completed in January next year.
Further, the computerised tomography (CT) scan machine in the DHQ has stopped working, creating difficulties for. The machine has been out of order for the past 10 days and patients are being referred to other hospitals or private laboratories to get the procedure done.
Meanwhile, the University of Taxila has directed all students residing in its hostels to vacate the premises immediately for fear of Covid-19 spreading.
Implementing SOPs
Meanwhile, teams of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration took action against individuals and establishments defying the Covid1-9 standard operating procedures.
Teams made surprise visits to various public places and commercial areas. Several hotels and streets were sealed while residents were fined for not following the SOPs.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2020.
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