Holy Family Hospital: Top positions vacant in infectious diseases department

Mosquito season presents looming threat, but department not fully-functional.

RAWALPINDI: The looming dengue threat in the twin cities requires the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) Rawalpindi to be in a fully-functional state, to effectively manage patients in case of an epidemic. But vacancies at top positions in the department pose a challenge.

HFH Senior Registrar Dr Qaiser Shehzad said that the initiative to establish the department — the first of its kind in Punjab — was taken in August last year. He said that the department was currently in its preliminary state as far as the dengue ward is concerned, whereas orders for equipment such as radiology machines, lab equipment, and beds had been placed, with delivery expected before June 30.

Dr Shehzad said that since the hospital had to deal with a large number of dengue patients last year, there was a realisation of the need for a specialised infectious diseases department.

HFH Coordinator Development Dr Athar Tehseen said the government had announced several posts for the department, which included one post each for an associate and an assistant professor, a medical staff of six to seven doctors, 16 nurses, and 10 posts for assistant staff members. He said that the interviews and final inductions against almost all of the vacancies had been completed.

However, a RMC faculty and management member, who asked not to be named, said that the department was still waiting for associate and assistant professors to join.

He said that the health department which was responsible for hiring these professors, adding that it had still not conducted due process for filling the two top positions.

The faculty member added that they had repeatedly requested the provincial health department to hire professors on ad-hoc basis for smooth functioning of the department, but they insisted on conducting the induction process through the Punjab Public Service Commission, which would take time.

Dr Shehzad said that a budget of Rs70 million was approved for the department.

“Officially the department has a capacity of 80 beds, but in case of an epidemic, we won’t refuse patients and will get more wards cleared,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2015.