PESHAWAR: The government has directed all the civil servants working in medical teaching institutions to report to health department by January 31 and non-compliance would be considered their unwillingness to stay as civil employees.

After end of the deadline, all the civil employees failing to join health department, would be governed under the Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act (MTIRA) 2015.

An office order issued from health department noted that ambiguity prevailed regarding the status of the civil servants and institutional employees working in MTIs due to which it was clarified for all.

It said that before the promulgation of MTIRA, all administrative and teaching staff appointed by management councils under the repealed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical and Health Institution and Regulation of Healthcare Services Ordinance, 2002, regardless of status of terms and conditions of services would be considered employees of the relevant MTI on such terms and conditions as per regulations.

Non-compliance till Jan 31 will be considered their unwillingness to stay as govt employees

“They are now employees of the MTIs,” said the order. Before the enforcement of MTIRA, the civil servants, who opted for the existing MTI, would be subject to terms and conditions of the employment under relevant regulations except their services structure, promotions and disciplinary matters.

They would be entitled to post-retirement benefits and emoluments as per government law and the MTIs shall deposit contribution for their pension.

In accordance with the MTIRA, the civil servants, who opt to work in MTI, would cease to be civil servant from the date of absorption in MTI and their seniority, pension and other matters would be determined as per law.

The order said that all civil servants, who opted for MTI, practically joined it or were working there, would be considered employees of the MTIs from date of joining as it showed their willingness to work there. Therefore, all the civil servants, who were unwilling to remain in MTI, should immediately report to health department for their further posting as civil servants otherwise they would be considered as employees of the medical teaching institution where they were working presently, it added.

Officials said that the warning was issued on persuasion of the MTIs where hundreds of civil servants worked as doctors, paramedics, nurses and other officials. The civil servants came under the control of the provincial government and were government employees under Civil Servants Rules 1973 while MTIs staffers were dealt with in line with the MTIRA, they said.

The province has 11 MTIs, run by boards of governors that make all administrative decisions about the employees.

The MTI Policy Board has been asking the health department to take back the civil employees and so far about 50 per cent of them have been transferred out and posted in government health facilities.

Officials said that most of the employees, who were transferred from the MTIs, were posted in their native districts where their services were needed the most.

The MTIs have been complaining to the health department that they don’t have any administrative authority over civil servants and therefore want them all to be taken back by health department.

Provincial Doctors Association has rejected the government’s decision of recalling the civil servants from the MTIs.

A press release of the association said that the government wanted to target the civil servants for its failure to improve patients’ care despite spending billions of rupees on MTIs.

It said that civil servants had been working in MTIs for decades and the government was planning to deprive them of pension and other benefits. The association was holding a meeting to decide future line of action in that regard, it added.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2022