BAHAWALPUR, April 18: The Punjab health secretary has suspended seven officials, including five doctors, of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital on charges of dereliction of duty, negligence and carelessness.

They include two assistant medical superintendents Dr Altaf Malik and Dr Mansoor Mubarak, Dr Salim Channar, lady doctors Musarrat and Mrs Safdar Rizwan, staff nurse Safia Khuda Baksh and sanitary inspector Tariq Javed. Earlier, the Punjab government replaced Quaid-i-Azam Medical College/BVH Prof Dr Khursheed Qureshi with Prof Ajwad Shah, who took charge of his office on Monday.

According to APP, Punjab health minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed, on the directions of the chief minister, had constituted a two-member inspection team comprising CM’s adviser on health Dr Anwar Ahmad Bugvi and RY Khan Sheikh Zaid Medical College/Hospital principal Dr Eice Muhammad to look into the matters of the Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital.

The committee had paid a surprise visit to the BVH and found serious irregularities in its affairs.

Upon the recommendations of the committee, the chief minister ordered immediate transfer of QMC/BVH principal and suspension of others