PESHAWAR, March 12: The NWFP government is likely to exempt about 400 contract doctors from appearing in the Public Service Commission examination, officials said.

They said the government would order the continuation of their contracts.

Officials said the health department had taken the decision following the hunger strike staged by the contract doctors against the government's policy to subject their continuation of services with the passing of the PSC tests and interviews.

Officials said that a three-tier formula had been devised in this regard. They said a three-member committee had been constituted by the health minister under the director-general health, Dr Jalilur Rehman, to prepare lists of doctors to be exempted from appearing in the PSC tests.

Officials also informed that representatives of the contract doctors would furnish a list, containing names and duration of the doctors' services in accordance with the formula, on Saturday.

The health minister, an official said, had asked the committee to finalize the doctors' list within a week's time.

Officials also said that the health minister had promised these doctors that later, their services would be regularised through an act of the assembly.