September 17, 2008	Wednesday	Ramazan 16, 1429

PESHAWAR, Sept 16: Six doctors have been working against three sanctioned posts of medical superintendents at various hospitals in the province, official sources say.

Lack of interest to settle the issue had been resulting in administrative problems besides hampering working at those three hospitals frequented daily by thousands of patients, sources in the health department said.

There are two medical superintendents in each Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) Peshawar, Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) Abbottabad and District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ), Mardan despite the fact that only one post is sanctioned for each of these hospitals.

According to sources the practice has been in progress for the past several weeks. Those health facilities had one post of medical superintendent each but two persons had been holding at the post simultaneously in violation of rules for the past several weeks, they added. The phenomenon is causing confusion among the staff members regarding routine official work but the high-ups, including the health minister, has no time to solve the problems.

A few weeks ago, the government ordered transfer of Dr Iftikhar Ali, medical superintendent of ATH on some charges and appointed Dr Shamsher Ali in his place. Meanwhile, Dr Iftikhar obtained a stay order from the court against his removal from the post and regained the slot. Now, both Dr Iftikhar and Dr Shamsher work against the single post of medical superintendent at ATH.

Sources said that health department posted Dr Nigar at Mardan DHQ against the post of medical superintendent. The post was vacant as medical superintendent Dr Abdur Rahim had gone on leave.

However, Dr Rahim resumed his duty after his leave ended. Like ATH, both Dr Rahim and Dr Nigar work against a single post of medical superintendent at Mardan DHQ.

The 1200-bed KTH has been facing the same situation for the last two months.

KTH medical superintendent Dr Khushdil Khan was suspended and transferred on the recommendation of National Accountability Bureau when allegations of embezzlement and out of merit recruitments on the low-grade posts at the hospital were levelled against him. He was replaced by Dr Zakirullah.

But Dr Khushdil got a stay order against the government’s decision and was thus able to rejoin his duty as KTH medical superintendent without any fresh official directives in this regard. Now both, he and Dr Zakirullah, work against the same post at KTH.

Chief executives of KTH and ATH, sources said, had no option except obeying court’s decisions regarding re-instatement of the officials and allowing them to work. The chief executives neither stopped the other two persons appointed by government at the time of suspension of the both the medical superintendents.