Hajj Medical Mission: Doctors, paramedics selected in violation of criteria

An official said bribes were taken for selection of candidates.

ISLAMABAD:

Keeping in line with official instructions regarding Hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia, the government is making all-out efforts to avoid an outbreak of the MERS coronavirus during the upcoming pilgrimage. However, the health officials selected to provide medical cover to Pakistani pilgrims by the capital’s second largest government hospital, Polyclinic, are alleged to be lacking adequate professional experience.

According to the list of doctors and paramedics provided by Polyclinic and approved by the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), the medical officers (MO) selected include a medical specialist, dental surgeon and a surgical specialist.

Almost all these MOs have around one-and-half years of working experience while the criteria set by the Ministry of Religious Affairs for doctors of the Hajj Medical Mission should have a minimum work experience of five years.

The selected officials include a nurse whose actual grade is BS-18 but is shown as a BS-16 official as the Hajj Medical Mission requires a junior nurse. She also does not qualify as she is more than 50 years old and according to the ministry’s criteria, the candidate cannot be above 50.

An official at the hospital, speaking anonymously, said the majority of selections have been done on the basis of bribes. “Those who paid Rs5,000 to Rs50,000 got an approval from the higher-ups,” said the official, adding that the list also contains individuals who have been part of the  Hajj Medical Mission several times before.

When contacted, Dr Ghulam Mustafa, who is the assistant executive director at the hospital and also a member of the newly constituted media committee, said “It is true that a few names in the list did not meet the criteria as pointed out by CADD officials. We will now revise those names”.

Millions of Muslims from around the world are expected to take part in Hajj this October.

The MERS (Middle East Respiratory-Syndrome) coronavirus emerged in the Arabian Peninsula in September 2012 and is part of a large family of viruses, including the common cold and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). The virus has killed 38 people in Saudi Arabia to-date. Health experts fear the spread of dangerous viruses, including polio, during the annual religious gathering in Saudi Arabia.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2013.