K-P to hire medical officers on fixed pay

Contract recruitment to ease staff shortage in four district hospitals; locals to get preference

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to recruit medical officers on a fixed salary to address the shortage of healthcare staff in hospitals across four districts, including Mardan.

To ensure transparency in the recruitment process at the district level, a grievance redressal committee has been formed. The committee will be chaired by the Special Secretary of Health, with members including the Additional Secretary Health, Director HRM, and Section Officer E-2.

This committee will review written complaints from candidates regarding the ongoing recruitment process in Mardan, Upper Dir, Batkhela, and Haripur. Complaints will be analyzed based on evidence, and recommendations will be forwarded to the competent authorities.

All applicants have been instructed to submit their written complaints by August 10. No complaints submitted after this deadline will be entertained.

The Health Department reaffirmed its commitment to a transparent, fair recruitment process and to restoring candidate confidence.

Shortage of doctors is not a new phenomenon in the province. In April this year, the Health Department decided to recruit medical officers and specialist doctors on contract basis to meet the shortage of medics across the province and to make the district headquarters hospitals properly functional.

In the initial phase, 115 medical officers are being recruited in different hospitals.

Similarly, 51 non-permanent consultants are being recruited on contract to make different specialties functional in the district headquarters hospitals.

The Health Advisor has approved the recruitment of doctors on a contract basis. He said the move will not only create employment opportunities for doctors but also make hospitals functional, ensuring that people can access treatment in their own areas.

A key feature of this recruitment drive is that preference will be given to medical staff from the respective areas. These doctors will be appointed to specific hospitals and will not be transferred elsewhere.

In January this year, K-P government 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 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.