QUETTA, Sept 27: More than 1,200 doctors in the province are unemployed and 200 of them have crossed the age-limit for government services.

The chairman of the Jobless Doctors Action Committee, Dr Afzal Zarkoon, while talking to Dawn said the provincial health department was not implementing the four-tier system for the promotion of doctors into the next grades, which could create new jobs automatically.

Under the system 50 per cent of the doctors are promoted to grade 17, 34 per cent from grade 17 to 18, 15 per cent from 18 to 19 and one per cent to grade 20.

He said the government’s policy of not promoting the doctors, neither creating new jobs nor filling the vacant posts would further worsen the situation as every year at least 110 doctors pass out from the Bolan Medical College.

MPA Dr Shama Ishaq criticising the health department said that around 450 posts of medical doctors were vacant owing to retirements, resignations and deaths of various doctors, but the department was not releasing the posts to the Public Service Commission for recruitment of new doctors.

“No new vacancy has been sent the Balochistan Public Service Commission for the last six years,” said a jobless lady doctor, Sadiqa Syed.

Ms Ishaq said 250 doctors were recruited on contract basis in 1995, but were sent home in 1997 despite protests and strikes.