MIANWALI: The Primary & Secondary Healthcare secretary has dismissed former deputy district health officer, Mianwali, Dr Sher Samand, for submitting bogus credentials at the time of his recruitment more than 10 years ago.

Dr Samand has been removed under the Punjab Employees Efficiency Discipline and Accountability Act (PEEDA) 2006 from the date of his induction which means he will have to return the entire salary and other monetary benefits.

He will face a police case for submitting forged documents and a departmental inquiry to establish deaths and disabilities, if any, occurred as a result of his medical advice, procedure or prescription during the period of his service.

The primary & secondary healthcare department conducted a detailed inquiry on the complaint of Taj Din and a Dawn report dated 7-8-2017.

The probe conducted by Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, then Director Health Services, Lahore division, concluded that the accused had submitted a forged MD degree from Semipalatinsk State Medical Academy, Republic of Kazakhstan.

Similarly, his registration certificate of the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council was also found to be forged.

Mianwali Health CEO Dr.Mohammad Khan told Dawn as per directions of the primary & secondary healthcare secretary, he had sent a letter to the deputy commissioner to recommend to the Mianwali district police officer to register an FIR against Dr Sher Samand for deceiving the department and furnishing forged certificates.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2019