PESHAWAR: The health department has removed four district health officers and medical superintendents of five hospitals for showing poor performance and has deployed newly-promoted administrative cadre doctors to strengthen monitoring and supervision of the health facilities, according to sources.

They said that appointment of new MS and DHOs was made on the basis of monthly review meetings, held with health secretary in the chair. They said that meetings noted that performance of those officials was not up to the mark. Despite warnings to improve work, they failed and faced action, they added.

“The department has no option except taking strict action to improve work after the huge financial benefits extended to doctors, nurses and paramedics during the last one year,” sources said.

They said that the allowances were meant to ensure presence of health employees at duty place and provision of effective services to the people but the situation didn’t show sign of improvement to a desired level. “Action is needed to make things happen,” they added.

Sources said that the DHOs of Bannu, Mardan, Kohat and Hangu were replaced after noting their poor performance regarding general health scenarios and bad performance regarding anti-polio vaccination in the respective districts recently.

The appointment of Dr Said Ali Khan as director-general health services surprised many due to his retirement in Feb next year. His work as DHO Swat has been acclaimed in every review meeting of the health secretariat. He did away with dengue fever where it was endemic for three years. His work, as DHO Shangla during 2005 earthquake drew appreciation.

However, he is not concerned about retirement and says that timely supply of medicines and equipment and presence of staff are basic needs to enhance patients’ confidence in public sector hospitals.

He said that they would focus on monitoring and supervision to get the target outcome through deployment of professionally-trained team of administrators, who would be able to implement the policy through coordination with the health department.

“We can hold the staff accountable when we provide better environment and resources for treatment and diagnosis of the patients. Similarly, provision of water and electricity etc are also among basic necessities which we provide,” said Said Ali Khan.

The satellite hospitals built by government in the city a decade ago to provide healthcare to the people living on the outskirts of Peshawar and reduce load on tertiary care hospitals failed to operate effectively.

The health department replaced MS of Naseerullah Babar Teaching Hospital, Women and Children Hospital and Safwat Ghayur Children Hospital Peshawar and District Headquarters Hospital Mardan, Women Children Hospital Kohat and Karak.

Sources said that about 5,500 employees faced disciplinary action for remaining absent from duty in the form of deduction of salaries, issuance of show cause notices, imposing fines and termination in light of reports of Independent Monitoring Unit.

Sources said that director-general health retired on October 24 but appointment of his successor was delayed owing to observations by establishment and administration department.

The medical superintendents have been appointed in Shabqadar and Takht Bhai with administrative and financial authority to take decisions independently.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2016