ISLAMABAD: As many as 115 doctors of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) have been placed in the next basic pay scales (BPS) - from 17 to 18 and 18 to 19.

Those not placed in the next pay scales alleged that a pick-and-choose criterion was adopted rather than following merit. However, the promoted doctors claimed that they had been placed in next grades purely on merit.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), and available with Dawn, on the recommendations of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) in its meeting held on September 27 and with the approval of the competent authority i.e. the additional secretary health the 115 officers had been placed in next/higher grades with immediate effect.

The notification has been sent to the manager Printing Corporation of Pakistan for official/gazette notification.

However, the notification triggered a debate in the hospital that why a number of medical officers and senior doctors were ignored.

A senior doctor, wishing not to be quoted, said it was placement in the next scale rather than promotion, but even in placement the benefits were given of the next BPS.

“All medical officers gave one competitive exam, but few got placement and those raising voice against the management were ignored,” he said.

He said as the meeting of the Central Selection Board (CSB) was going to be held in a few days, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) was not able to speak against the alleged discrimination.

He said that there was also conflict of interest in some departments of the hospital such as some doctors have administrative posts and at the same time they were working as heads of the departments (HoDs), but unfortunately no one was looking in to it.

“There are some HoDs who have deputed their teams in Pims to register patients for private hospitals and throughout the day their teams try to convince patients that they should go to private hospitals in which the Pims HoD were working, to get the best possible treatment,” he said.

An official in the health ministry said he had been hearing similar complaints for the last many years.

“It is understandable that everyone wants to be placed in next scale and whenever they fail to get the next grade they start blaming the management and criticising the selection process,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2024