Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to finally fill 248 long-vacant management cadre posts in the Health Department. The process of recruitment of 600 specialist doctors via Public Service Commission will also be expedited.
The Provincial Doctors Association has welcomed the government's decision and said that these seats had been lying vacant for the past several years and the Health Department had remained silent about it.
On the request of the association, the Health Advisor has assured relaxation in the age written in the advertisement at 32 years.
The Health Advisor has also assured that a relaxation of five years will be given and the rules will be amended for the purpose.
Therefore, all the doctors who are currently more than 32 years old could also apply to avail the opportunity.
The Health Advisor has also issued orders to expedite the process of recruiting 600 specialist doctors through the Public Service Commission as soon as possible keeping in mind the acute shortage of district specialist doctors across the province.
Orders have also been issued to the concerned Deputy Secretary Health and the concerned Section Officer to send these seats to the Public Service Commission as soon as possible. In this regard, it was also decided to collect data of all specialist doctors across the province, after which it will be decided to take steps to transfer these doctors to the specialist cadre.
Health Advisor Ehtesham Khan Advocate has also resolved the long-standing issue of the seniority list of Grade 17 of the general cadres and has also issued orders to prepare the working papers for the promotion of doctors of all cadres and send them to the PSC.
The Provincial Doctors Association welcomed taking practical steps to resolve the problems of doctors.
Background
In December 2023, The Express Tribune reported that the healthcare system in K-P is grappling with a crisis, primarily stemming from a severe financial crunch. This predicament triggered a disheartening trend, as senior doctors were abandoning their positions in public sector hospitals, seeking more promising opportunities elsewhere.
Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), the largest healthcare facility in the province, has borne the brunt of this exodus. Officials told The Express Tribune a troubling uncertainty surrounding the healthcare system due to a lack of funds, the suspension of health cards, and a critical shortage of essential medicines.
The situation has prompted a growing number of senior doctors, especially those with international qualifications from the UK, US, and Ireland, to resign and move abroad.
Over the past three months, heads of vital departments, including the intensive care unit (ICU) and pediatric surgery, tendered their resignations. The departure of these experienced professionals leaves critical departments in disarray, adversely affecting patient care.
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