PESHAWAR, Nov 5: The decision to reinstate the doctors, who had resigned in protest against the institution-based practice (IBP), has delayed the fresh recruitment on various vacant posts in the teaching cadre.

“New appointments have been stopped because of the impending reinstatement of the doctors who had resigned. The fresh appointees, if selected, would fill up the vacant posts of senior registrars (SRs) and assistant professors (APs) and there will be hardly any post left to accommodate the resigned doctors,” said an official.

Officials say that reinstatement of an employee, who had resigned, was a difficult job and without the changes in the services rules it would be nearly impossible.

“Bigwigs of the health secretariat, are cross-fingered over the issue, who despite wanting the doctors back, are in search of ways to accommodate them,” said an official. According to him, it would be seen later as to what would be the affects of the decision on the health system after the reinstatement of the doctors, but the government was committed to bringing them back.

The government’s move has caused quite a stir among the doctors, who had been promoted in lieu of the resignations of their seniors. They believe that they would be relegated in case the services of their seniors were restored.

The department’s schedule regarding the appointment of fresh doctors on various posts of the teaching cadre has collapsed. Some of the aspirants with desired qualification and experience, were waiting to be appointed against the vacant posts SRs and APs in teaching hospitals of the province. But the health department was avoiding the interviews.

The government had twice deferred fresh recruitment of the doctors. Few months back, a number of posts of the SRs and APs were advertised for the teaching hospitals. Hundreds of doctors had applied. The applicants were called for interview on June 6, but at the eleventh hour the interviews were cancelled.

Again Oct 30, was fixed for the interviews, but the interviews were again cancelled on Oct 28.

Officials say that the summery regarding reinstatement was lying with finance department, which was finding it hard to arrange funds for the additional posts of the doctors. The interviews were cancelled time and again to first accommodate the resigned doctors, said the officials.