Balochistan Assembly: ‘Doctors should serve in their hometowns first’

Resolution seeks newly appointed doctors to serve at least three to five years in their districts.

QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution seeking to make it obligatory for new doctors to first serve in their home districts.

It demanded of the provincial government to approach the federal government to make it binding on newly appointed doctors to serve at least three to five years in their hometowns in order to end the dearth of doctors in Balochistan.

The resolution was jointly moved by Provincial Health Minister Rehmat Saleh Baloch, Mir Khalid Lango and Dr Shama Ishaq — all three hailing from National Party (NP).

Speaker Jan Mohammed Jamali chaired the session as Dr Ishaq tabled the resolution stating those doctors selected by Public Service Commission should be deputed to their respective hometowns and districts. “There is a dearth of doctors in District Headquarters Hospitals which is causing great trouble to the local people,” stated the resolution.

Dr Ishaq further stated those doctors who had cleared their postgraduate exams should be appointed in their hometowns. “Government should enact a law in this regard binding the doctors to serve in their home districts. It will improve the precarious condition of health.”

Opposition Leader Maulana Wasay criticised the Health Minister for first seeking permission to take action against the absent doctors. “I do not know what bars the health minister to run his ministry in accordance with the law,” he said.

Another resolution was tabled by Dr Hamid Achakzai of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) demanding the provincial government to approach federal government to end the unnecessary check posts near Chaman and Taftan, bordering townships with Afghanistan and Iran, enabling free trade of daily needs.

He stated Punjab and Sindh governments have allowed the trade with neighbouring country but there are so many unnecessary check posts near Chaman and Taftan which create troubles for the local traders.

The third resolution regarding providing facilities to Quetta International Airport was tabled by Izhar Hussain Khosa of PML-N. The resolution was adopted unanimously demanding Balochistan government to approach federal government to provide facilities to Quetta International Airport bringing it at par with other international airports.

“There is no facility except night landing. The people of Balochistan deserve the same facilities as available in other provincial capitals,” he stated.

Ghost employees haunt health dept

Chief Minister Dr Malik Baloch said there was gross corruption in hiring for the health and education departments during the previous provincial government. “There are at least 600 ghost employees. Incompetent People were hired on forged degrees,” the CM told the Balochistan Assembly on Monday.

He was replying to opposition leader’s question on performance of education and health departments.

“I do not claim that my government has made a 100% improvement in the education and health departments, but there has been a significant improvement in past one year,” he told the provincial legislature.

The chief minister said health department had deputed 20 gynaecologists in districts like Panjgur and Chagai where doctors had never gone to perform their duties. “We only welcome the rational and constructive criticism. My cabinet is working hard to improve the law and order, education and health sectors,” he said.