CHITRAL: The district administration has planned to approach the health department for the cancellation of the recent Class-IV appointments to the District Headquarters Hospital, Chitral, over the alleged violation of rules.

Former medical superintendent of the hospital Dr Akbar Shah is understood to have appointed three people to the ward orderly posts, five on the quota of retired employees, and adjusted three sweepers to the ward orderly posts.

An official of the deputy commissioner’s office told Dawn that the administration took notice of the irregular appointments and sought a copy of the appointment orders from the hospital management but was told that the former hospital chief didn’t leave any such document in the office records and had issued appointment letters individually.

He said the holding of interviews was required by the rules for those appointments, while a representative of the DC office, who was part of the DHQ hospital appointment committee, should be present in those interviews and sign the relevant documents.

The official said the DC’s office would formally contact the health secretary’s office for the cancellation of those illegal appointments today (Tuesday).

When contacted, local MPA Wazirzada declared those hospital appointments ‘totally illegal’ and said the former MS had backdated appointment orders for legality.

He said interviewing of candidates was a prerequisite for those appointments.

The lawmaker said interviews for those Class-IV posts were slated to be held on Dec 12 but they’re cancelled by the ‘competent authority’, while fresh date for them had yet to be issued.

He said appointing five people on the quota for the sons of retired employees was not lawful as that two per cent quota meant one position among 25 vacancies.

“I’ll get these illegal appointments cancelled by the health secretary and seek stern action against culpable officials,” he said.

Former MS Dr Akbar Shah got the hospital’s top position last Sept but the chief minister cancelled his posting orders after learning that Dr Akbar was no more a civil servant as he had been an employee of the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, since 2016 when he joined it under the MTI Reforms Act, 2015.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2019