August 22, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-us-Sani 23, 1424

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PESHAWAR, Aug 21: The NWFP government has decided to amend the law for re-instating doctors who had resigned after the introduction of the Institution-based Practice (IBP) in the province.

The government has already prepared a draft of an amendment to the Medical Health  Institutions  and Regulations of Health Care Services Ordinance, 2002, paving the way for the re-instatement of the doctors.

The draft is likely to be presented before the provincial cabinet for approval in its next meeting. The proposed amendment will be called NWFP Medical Health Institutions and Regulation of Health Care Services (first amendment) Act, 2003.

Health Minister Inayatullah Khan will seek amendment to the ordinance by tabling the proposed draft in the next meeting of the cabinet aiming at restoration of services of doctors who tendered resignation as a protest against the IBP.

A new provision will be added to the ordinance: “provided that all civil servants who were forced by the rigid application of restrictions on the private practice outside the premises of the respective institutions, resigned their services or proceeded on retiring pensions, shall be recalled into service, subject to their option and intervening period of absence shall be treated as extra-ordinary leave without pay or earned leave if it was due at the time of resignation or retirement”.

The draft says that the then government, on experimental basis, placed a ban on private practice of the employees of the health care institutions and instead provided for the IBP in February, 2002.

Most of the senior consultants of teaching institutions i.e., professors, associate professors and assistant professors were  of the opinion that placing of ban  was discriminatory, which singled out teaching staff of the NWFP only and there were no such precedents at federal and other provinces. Most of them preferred to resign or to proceed on premature retirement.

These doctors were also consultants of teaching hospitals and patients had to face difficulties, specially the medical students.

A 15-member parliamentary committee appointed by the NWFP Assembly examined the issue in detail and the report of the committee, favoured lifting of the ban on private practice. The committee   recommended that the IBP was affecting the working of hospitals  and draining expertise  from  the  medical institutions, therefore it should be reversed.

The health department is also finding it impossible to appoint staff for the two new medical colleges at Swat and Dera Ismail Khan. These institutions are also facing a threat of de-recognition from Pakistan Medical and  Dental Council.

Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has already given his approval to place the bill before the cabinet.