ISLAMABAD: Following the intervention by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, over 30 officers of the health ministry and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) were transferred amid allegations of malpractices.

Some insiders, however, have criticised the move as merely cosmetic, arguing that apart from a few cases, officers have been shuffled rather than the initiation of investigations and suspensions.

According to notifications, available with Dawn, Director General (DG) Health Dr Mohammad Ahmed Kazi, who also had charge of Federal Directorate of Immunisation (FDI), has been removed from both posts and reassigned to Sindh as he was District Health Officer (DHO) District South Karachi. The Establishment Division has been requested to issue his repatriation orders as his services are no longer required.

National Coordinator Common Management Unit (CMU) for AIDS, TB and Malaria Dr Razia Kaniz Fatima has been terminated with immediate effect.

Similarly, Deputy Director Admin Federal General Hospital Dr Mir Mohammad Hassan Bullo has been removed.

Abdul Kabir Khalil, Mohammad Ishaq, Imran Ali, Rizwan Nabi Baloch and Irfanullah Khan have been transferred within the health ministry.

In Drap, Dr Akhter Abbas, Ajmal Sohail Asif, Dr Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Dr Syed Zia Hasnain, Muneeza Khan, Mahvish Ansari, Salateen Waseem Philip, Ume Laila, Akbar Ali, Rana Ahsan ul Haq Athar, Mehwish Jamil Butt, Iqra Aftab, Hassan Afzal, Asadullah, Abdul Waheed, Farooq Aslam, Farzana Raja, Shahrukh Ali, Mehwish Tanveer, Shafqat Hussain, Zulfiqar Ali Brohi, Rabnawaz Khan, Hamza Malik, Ikram ul Haq and Zahir ud Din have been transferred. They have been directed to ensure proper handover of official records.

Additional charge of post of DG Health has been assigned to DG Population Dr Shabana Saleem for a period of three months or till further orders.

Moreover, Ghazala Bashir Memon has been appointed as DG Development in the health ministry.

Sources indicate that these transfers were made under the directions of the Prime Minister Office, following a detailed inquiry conducted by intelligence and security agencies, the report for which was submitted to the PM Office.

A Drap official, requesting not to be quoted, said that Drap lacked an internal accountability system. He accused the health ministry of covering up malpractices in the authority due to which intelligence and security agencies had to initiate an inquiry.

“I believe that the transfers in the Drap are an eyewash as officers, who were involved in malpractices, have been just shuffled. Some of them have been transferred to Quality Management System (QMS) where they will do nothing but relax. In the past, officers used to be dumped in Federal Drugs Surveillance Lab (FDSL),” he said.

The official said that according to Drap Act, the authority should establish laboratories, as it has to deal with therapeutic goods, cosmetics and drug devices along with medicines.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024