April 22, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1429

HYDERABAD, April 21: An action committee of doctors who had passed a test for jobs held by the National Testing Services (NTS) appealed to the Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman and chief minister on Monday to direct the health department to issue appointment orders to the doctors, who had got through the NTS test.

Dr Riaz Malik and Dr Abdul Waheed Daryani, committee leaders, said at a news conference at the press club that the department had delayed issuing them job letters though they had passed the NTS test five months ago.

They said that the NTS, a nationally recognised testing body, was set up on the recommendations of medical universities and principals of the colleges. Even the Higher Education Commission offered scholarships only to the candidates who had passed NTS test, they said.

They said that the Sindh government spent huge amount on the test for doctors and nurses to fill hundreds of vacant posts in the health department but the authorities were dilly-dallying on issuance of job letters though the number of vacant posts was far more than the number of doctors and nurses, who had passed the test.

It was on this account that the government decided to issue offer letters without conducting oral test and the caretaker government also promised to issue letters without any more tests, they said, adding, that the new government, too, had assured of issuing offer letters but it appeared the matter had been put on the back burner.