PESHAWAR: The transfer and subsequent suspension of two doctors adversely affected patient care at district headquarters hospital Timregara, Dir Lower, according to sources.

On July 9, Dr Najibullah and Dr Majid Arshad of district headquarters hospital Timergara, Lower Dir, were transferred to Category D Hospital Barwal and Category D Hospital Patrok in Upper Dir, respectively, by health department.

On November 5, health department received complaints from hospitals in Barwal and Patrak that both Dr Najibullah and Dr Majid Arshad hadn’t submitted their arrival report and requested disciplinary action against them. On Novmber 18, health department suspended both the medics for 120 days.

Health Secretary Shahidullah Khan said that they were suspended on disciplinary grounds. “They were involved in grouping, sit-ins, disobedience, not performing their duties and creating problems for the hospital administration,” he said.

Health secretary says medics were transferred on disciplinary grounds

He said that they were transferred on the written complaint of the hospital administration.

Both the doctors, however, alleged that they had been suspended after they, as members of an inquiry committee, found massive-scale irregularities in procurement of equipments for district headquarters hospital Timergara, affiliated with Timregara Medical College, Lower Dir.

A five-member committee, with Dr Najibullah and Dr Majid Arshad as its members, formed by the principal of Timergara Medical College (TMC) in November 2024, found that most of the equipments in the hospital were either non-existent or substandard, according to a report.

The three-page report of the inquiry committee, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said that most of the items were still unpacked and their warranty period was already over while the record was missing.

The committee was formed by the principal of TMC. The medical college announced by government in 2015 but it has yet to become operational despite expenditure of Rs14 billion.

Sources said that the doctors had been transferred and suspended at the behest of some local lawmakers, who were not happy with the findings of the inquiry committee’s report.

Sources at Timergara hospital said that the transfer of the doctors was affecting patient care. Under General Financial Rules, every civil servant is entitled to salary during suspension period but without allowances.

Of the suspended doctors, Dr Majid Arshad worked as assistant professor in paediatric surgery unit of hospital. He is the only paediatric surgeon in Upper Dir and Lower Dir, Chitral Upper and Chitral Lower. His transfer to Category D Hospital Patrak deprived patients in Timergara hospital of treatment facilities.

Similarly, Dr Najibullah, the senior registrar of urology unit, was sent to Category D Hospital Barawal where there was no urology department. Senior officials at Timergara hospital told Dawn that health department should cancel their suspension orders to facilitate patients. Both worked as medical officers but they were qualified specialists, they said.

According to them, both the doctors have been suspended for 120 days which means that they will receive salaries but without any work. Suspension affects service of a person only when the allegations are proven but if exonerated then it has no effects.

“These doctors have been engaged in legal proceedings to get themselves restored but their services are needed for the sake of patients. Their suspensions have been adversely affecting patients as they have been referred to Peshawar and other districts for treatment,” said sources.

On August 8, National Accountability Bureau had closed inquiry regarding corruption and misuse of authority in the case pertaining to TMC and Timergara hospital but another inquiry committee was constituted on the instruction of the sub-committee of standing committee of provincial assembly on health. The committee in its interim report pinpointed irregularities in procurement of equipments for the hospital and unavailability of the record.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2025