January 06, 2008	Sunday	Zilhaj 26, 1428

MARDAN, Jan 5: The District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ), Mardan, is on the verge of closure with a row between its medical superintendent (MS) and the District Accounts Officer (DAO), over the former’s retirement, taking a serious turn.

The continuing service of the MS has created a complex situation as, on the one hand, he has obtained a stay order from a court against his retirement notification, while on the other, the DAO has stopped payments on the bills signed by the ‘retired’ official.

The service period of the MS, Dr Liaqat Afridi, was supposed to be completed on December 13 but he got a stay order from a court against his retirement notification and filed a case in the Services Tribunal.

In front of the tribunal he has contended that his date of birth in official records was wrong. Therefore, he should not be retired anytime soon.

The Mardan DAO has been refusing to approve the bills signed by the MS on the grounds that he had already retired and if he (the DAO) approved the said bills he would land in trouble.

The DAO’s refusal to consider the hospitals’ bills is causing problems for its staffers as well as patients because purchase of medicines, fuel and other equipment is not possible without the approval of the bills.

It was also learnt that the caretaker government had issued an order of continuation of the service of the MS, thereby making the problem more complicated and disturbing the smooth running of the hospital’s affairs.

Talking to Dawn, Mardan Executive District Officer (EDO) Dr Abdur Rahim confirmed that there existed a row and said because of the controversy the hospital was on the verge of closure as no fuel for ambulances and the hospital’s main generator was available.

He said officials of the health department had been apprised of the situation but they were yet to respond to the crisis.