Over 430 senior medical officers await promotion

Provincial selection process stalled since March

LAHORE:

The promotion of 438 senior medical officers (SMOs) from BS-18 to the post of additional principal medical officer (BS-19) in the Punjab Health and Population Department has remained stalled for months, triggering frustration among doc-tors.

According to sources, the promotion process had gained momentum earlier this year. A meeting of the Pre-Provincial Selection Board-II (Pre-PSB-II) Proforma Promotion Committee had been scheduled for March 26, with the cases among the agenda items.

The sources said the meeting was expected to clear the way for the long-awaited promotions. However, they alleged that half an hour before the scheduled meet-ing, the promotion file was called back from the health department, resulting in the matter being withheld before it could be placed before the board.

The sources claimed that the file had not moved forward since then, leaving hun-dreds of eligible doctors waiting despite fulfilling the required service criteria.

On May 19, the department had directed all eligible SMOs from seniority number 1 to 438 to complete and submit their Confidential Report Dossiers, Performance Evaluation Reports (PERs) and Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) up to the year 2025 within a month. The letter had warned that incomplete record could result in exclusion from the promotion.

Although the deadline expired on June 19, about four weeks have passed without any progress on the promotion cases, the sources said.

Doctors affected by the delay say the prolonged uncertainty has created disap-pointment in the medical fraternity. They argued that promotions are not merely financial incentives but linked to professional recognition, career advancement, administrative responsibilities and future opportunities.

Several doctors told The Express Tribune that many officers had spent years man-aging heavy patient loads, disease outbreaks and staff shortages while waiting for promotion on merit.

A senior doctor said, "We completed every formality demanded by the depart-ment, including submission of ACRs and other documents. Every time we enquire, we are told that the matter is under process. Doctors who have devoted decades to public service deserve transparency regarding their careers."

The medical professionals argued that delays in promotions could have broader consequences for the healthcare system. They believe that prolonged stagnation discourages experienced physicians from taking on leadership responsibilities and affects motivation in government hospitals, where doctors already face increasing workloads due to growing patient numbers and limited human resources.

Some doctors also expressed concern that delayed promotions could eventually affect succession planning and administrative efficiency, particularly in secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities where experienced officers were expected to as-sume supervisory roles.

The sources indicated that the promotion summary was stalled at the office of the secretary for health and population. However, officials did not explain the reasons for the delay.

When contacted, an official of the department maintained that the promotion process has not been cancelled.

"The department is completing all procedural and legal requirements before plac-ing the cases before the competent forum. Promotions are processed strictly ac-cording to service rules and merit. Once the required scrutiny is completed, the cases will move forward through the prescribed mechanism," the official said.