Hajj medical mission: Names of staff who failed to meet criteria dropped

In the first phase, only 20 doctors, paramedics to go with pilgrims.

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) has dropped names of doctors and paramedics who had been selected for the Hajj medical mission in violation of the criteria set by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

CADD Secretary Fareedullah said that as part of the mission in the first phase, names of only 20 doctors and paramedics have been finalised by CADD after irregularities were reported in the selection criteria.

A day earlier, members Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet and CADD had expressed concern over irregularities in the selection criteria both by hospitals and ministry of religious affairs.

The committee was informed that the religious affairs ministry had sought names of 107 medical staff from hospitals and it later added names of 10 people on its own in the list.

Senator Mushahidullah Khan told the committee that most of the medical staff go with the Hajj mission just to make money as they get 200 to 400 Saudi riyals per day.

Sources at Polyclinic Hospital claimed that names of over 50 doctors and paramedics had been recommended by the hospital administration after taking bribes from them.

“Whoever paid Rs500, got an application form signed and his or her name was recommended by hospital high-ups,” the source claimed. The sources said that the recommended employees had assured their seniors that they would divide the money with them equally once they returned from the mission.

Some of the doctors and paramedics recommended by the hospital administration were reported to be either overage, had gone with the Hajj medical mission twice or thrice before or were juniors, said the sources. The sources even claimed that some of the medical staff, whose names have been finalised by CADD had provided inaccurate information and were actually grade 18 officials not grade 16.

Fareedullah said a committee has been constituted to investigate all the names.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2013.