LAHORE, May 1: The Data Darbar Hospital doctors have finally been given a service structure, saving many of them from retiring on the same pay scale in which they were recruited decades ago.

The charity hospital, though lacking many facilities, belongs to the provincial auqaf department, and is known for its free medical service especially camps where cataract operations of hundreds of poor patients are regularly conducted.

The hospital was constructed by the auqaf department decades ago for providing emergency treatment to devotees visiting the shrine of Lahore’s patron Saint Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh from home and abroad. The hospital is located behind the shrine.

Later, eye, dental, gynaecology, paediatrics and medical units were introduced at the hospital for the poor.

Apart from lack of proper facilities, an absence of a service structure for nine specialists and 26 general cadre doctors had been a major problem for them.

The doctors serving at the hospital include renowned eye surgeon Dr Qamarul Islam Lodhi. Some posts have been upgraded here from time to time, but a majority of doctors are moving towards retirement from service in the grades of their recruitment, or at the maximum, only a step ahead.

According to the auqaf department, the hospital’s doctors have been given the four-tier service structure of the Punjab health department. There will now be 13 posts in BS-17, nine in BS-18 and four in BS-19. The posts in BS-19 have been redesignated as principal medical officer and principal dental surgeon and in BS-18 as senior medical officer and senior dental surgeon.

The nine posts of specialist cadres have been kept floating in BS-18 and BS-19. Those in BS-18, and having at least 10-year service, are to be given BS-19. The post of the medical superintendent has been kept in BS-20, and it will be filled by doctors of the specialist cadre having 20 years of service in BS-18 and BS-19 at the same hospital.

The total annual cost of the project is estimated at Rs81,540. According to Auqaf Secretary Javed Iqbal Awan, the service structure would benefit the doctors a great deal. He said promotions had also been notified according to the new formula at a special meeting held late last month.

Those in general cadre were considered for promotion according to a combined seniority list, as many were going to retire only in BS-18.