RAWALPINDI: As many as 48 posts of medical officers in 45 rural and urban dispensaries of Rawalpindi district have been abolished.

The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department abolished the posts before the end of the caretaker government and now dispensers will be the incharges of these health units.

A senior official of the health department said austerity measures had been introduced in the dispensaries as these were handed over to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department after the end of the local government system introduced by former president Pervez Musharraf in 2010.

According to a notification of the department issued on February 16, the medical officers were posted to six dispensaries in Gujar Khan, two in Kallar Syedan, six in cantonment areas, including Ahmedabad, Azam Colony, Dhoke Mustaqeem, Ward No 2, Naseerabad and Dhoke Gujran.

They were also working in nine rural dispensaries of Dhama Syedan, Chaklala, Paryal, Shakrial, Saroba Adwal, Basali, Dhalla, Sial, Mohra Darogha and Miana.

Moreover, the posts of medical officers have also been abolished in the Municipal Medical Centres in Satellite Town, Akalgarh, Ammarpura, Bani, Bohar Bazaar, Imambargah, Muslim Town, New Amarpura, Ratta Amral, Sarafa Bazaar, Sarfraz Road, Chamanzar Colony, Sirajia Park, Dhoke Hassu, Dhoke Mangtal, Dhoke Ratta, Mohanpura, Telli Mohallah and Millat Colony.

The Municipal Medical Centres of Millat Colony, Telli Mohallah and Dhoke Ratta had two medical officers each while in other dispensaries, there was one medical officer.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2024