CHAKWAL: The district coordinator of Integrated Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health and Nutrition Programme (IRMNCH & NP) Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed Salik was removed from his position along with his boss Executive District Officer (Health) Dr. Sultan Alamgir Nawabi and his subordinate Naiyar Bibi, account assistant, for reporting fake and concocted data of delivery cases to the higher authorities, sources told Dawn on Monday.

According to sources in the health department, Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed Salik was asked to report to Lahore and he could be sent to any district of South Punjab while Dr. Nawabi is likely to be sent to Rawalpindi where he could be posted as principal medical officer.

The Punjab Government had directed all the district coordinators of IRMNCH & NP to ensure at least forty deliveries at a Basic Health Unit (BHU) in one month.

“To implement this order fully is impossible as a BHU hardly deals four to five delivery cases monthly while there are some BHUs where zero delivery cases come,” said senior official in the health department.

Officers were found reporting concocted data of delivery cases

He said the people prefer private clinics and those few who could not afford the expenses of a private clinic go to district headquarters hospital.

The BHU is not considered fit for delivery cases as people do not have trust in these small health facilities,” the official added.

“The figures presented in the report of EDO Chakwal were alarming and unbelievable. That is why an inquiry was conducted into the matter in which it was proved that 451 fake and concocted delivery cases at different BHUs were reported from Chakwal district,” the official said.

Finding programme coordinator, assistant accounts and EDO guilty, the director general health Punjab immediately removed all the three officials from their positions.

Talking to Dawn, District Coordination Officer Mehmood Javed Bhatti said he had censured Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed Salik two months ago over his bad performance. “He was getting Rs20,000 extra but he failed to perform his duty with honesty and dedication,” the DCO said.

He warned that strict action would be taken against shirkers.

On the other hand medical superintendant of DHQ Hospital Chakwal Dr. Ahsan Naveed has been promoted to grade 20 and posted as principal medical officer.

Dr. Amjad Ali Shah Hashmi who was serving as assistant medical superintendent at DHQ hospital, Rawalpindi has been promoted to Grade 19 and posted as medical superintendant at DHQ Hospital Chakwal. He has also been given additional charge of EDO Health.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2016