September 09, 2007	Sunday	Sha'aban 26, 1428

LAYYAH, Sept 8: Wrong policies of District Nazim Malik Ghulam Haider Thind have defeated the very purpose of the Punjab Chief Minister’s health reforms programme with the shifting of doctors and paramedics from health centers of far-flung areas. Close to 200,000 residents of remote rural areas have been dispossessed of the health cover, a survey conducted by Dawn has given out.The Layyah district government had recruited both male and lady doctors and paramedical staff under the CM’s health reform program to provide basic health facilities to the people in Punjab. In violation of rules and regulations, one surgeon, two male and as many lady doctors and 15 paramedics, who were employed on contract at Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) and Basic Health Units (BHUs), have been posted at the District Headquarters Hospital, Layyah.

Surgeon Mehar Muhammad Ramzan was posted at the Choubara THQ Hospital while doctors Khadim Hussain and Abdul Qayyum Shad were posted at BHUs of Basti Shadu Khan and Jhakhar Pacca, respectively.

Lady doctors Rehana Tariq and Narjis Shaheen were posted at Bhagal BHU.

Similarly, dispensers Abdul Muqeet Mohsin, Imran Jawad Gilani, Muhammad Ashraf, Nasir Razzak and Faiz Rasul were posted at Choubara THQ, Karor Lal Esan THQ, Lohaunch Nashaib BHU, Sahuwala BHU and 124 TDA BHU, respectively.

Operation theatre assistants Rafiullah and Bilal Ahmed were posted at Choubara THQ and 110 TDA BHU, respectively.

Nurses Fauzia Zaidi and Aysha Zareen were posted at Karor THQ; Samreen and Surwat at Fatehpur RHC; Motia Amber and Samreen at Kot Sultan RHC and Najma Rasul at Chowk Azam RHC. While ward boy Naeem was also posted at Chowk Azam RHC.

All these doctors and paramedics joined their duty at their places of posting but they were soon transferred to the DHQ Hospital by the EDO (Health) on the orders of the district nazim.

When contacted, EDO (Health) Dr Fazal Kareem said that all doctors were posted at the DHQ Hospital temporarily because their services were needed there.

He, however, came clean that contract employees could not be transferred as their services were liable to be terminated, but the authority could `shift’ such employees at the place where their services were needed the most.

Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) district president Dr Javed Iqbal said that policies of the district government were going on the wrong as the load of patients had shifted to the DHQ Hospital on account of unavailability of doctors at BHUs and THQs.