May 09, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 21, 1428

FAISALABAD, May 8: The Punjab Medical College (PMC) administration has violated merit in the postings of medical officers in the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital and the Allied Hospital thus inviting the wrath of the Punjab government, sources said on Tuesday.

The Punjab government recruited nine medical officers for emergency wards of both hospitals. The PMC administration on the recommendations of the special selection board on March 19, 2007, forwarded appointment letters to doctors Muhammad Saghir Khan, Sohail Khan, Mukhtar Ali, Muhammad Irfan, Awais Fazal, Asif Amin, Nadeem Akhtar, Abbas Kamal Muhammad and Asifa Saeed.

The administration was directed to appoint the toppers in the Allied Hospital which is considered a well-equipped facility. The administration did otherwise and issued three orders of transfer and posting of these medical officers in 19 days.

According to the first notification made available to Dawn, Dr Saghir, who topped the merit list, was appointed at the DHQ hospital, which is less equipped than the Allied Hospital.

Doctors Mukhtar and Awais having third and fifth position in the merit list were posted in the Allied Hospital. The orders were again changed and Dr Mukhtar was replaced with Dr Saghir which alarmed other doctors.

A few doctors, source said, objected to the posting mechanism and approached the Punjab government to intervene into the matter. The government told the PMC administration to follow the merit list.

PMC Principal Dr AG Rehan asked former medical officer of the Allied Hospital Dr Bashir Ahmed to call all the doctors to know about their choice about the place of appointment. After consulting the doctors, the PMC appointed doctors Saghir and Mukhtar in the Allied Hospital. But Dr Sohail with second position in the list is still serving in the DHQ.

Dr Bashir admitted that he had invited all doctors for new postings and recommended the administration about new postings according to their choice.