Work distribution: Health board to handle disciplinary proceedings

Remit includes postings of health professionals, leave recommendations.

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has recommended rules for the provincial Health Management Board (HMB), read a copy of the proposal available with The Express Tribune.

Through these rules, the government has essentially assigned a system of disciplinary proceedings for health and medical professionals.

HMB’s core duties, which were approved by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on April 27, include postings and transfers of health professionals on basic pay scale (BPS) 17-18 as well as recommendations on leave applications of more than three months.

The body

According to the documents, the 15-member board will be chaired by the health services director general while the members will include health and establishment additional secretaries, three senior district specialists, and three members each from the management and general cadres. The board will also include a senior member from the nursing department, a senior paramedic, the health services deputy director and the health services secretary.

Conditions for membership

There are certain conditions that the government proposed for the members. One condition was that the member be from among the top 10 senior most BPS-20 officers in each category and should be recommended by the health services director general.

The member should have at least 15 years of experience at a senior level and should not be a member of any association or council. The documents added decisions made by the HMB should be through voting and in case of a tie, the chairman of the board should add a member to the voting process.

Rules for members of the board include that those who failed to perform their duties or were incapable of doing so shall be removed. Membership of the board can also be terminated if the member has been declared insolvent.

Holding meetings is also as crucial for the board members. A member can also be terminated if he/she fails to attend three meetings in a row.

Recourse

If a complaint is received against a member then the health secretary shall constitute a committee of three officers of BPS-20, including one from the establishment department, to look into the allegations. The member will get a copy of the charges and the opportunity of a hearing before the health secretary.

An appeal can be filed if they are any reservations regarding the decisions of the board. However, the appeal must be made within a week of the decision.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2015.