KARACHI, April 27: The Sindh health department will start process of appointment against 1,670 posts of grade 5 to 15 by holding written tests on May 14, said official sources.

About 125,000 applications were received against the posts of paramedical, technical and other staff for government healthcare facilities in 23 districts by the health department about 20 months back, but the department did not know what to do of those as it lacked any ‘clear policy directive from high-ups’, said a source in the department.

It was further learnt that the department had also received about 100,000 applications against about 4,000 posts of grade 1 to 4, but could finalise appointments on 650 posts for a few districts including Karachi and Hyderabad, while the rest of the posts were still lying vacant. This way, at present around 5,020 posts including 3,350 posts of grade 1 to 4 and 1,670 posts of grade 5 to 15 are lying vacant in the health department.

Since 2007 is being taken as election year, there are chances that either all appointments pertaining to grade 1 to 15 for the entire province will be materialised or again put on the back burner, the source confided.In the meantime, a health department notification said that department was initiating the process of recruitment against various posts in BS-5 to BS-15 advertised in the year 2005 and as such tests will be conducted in the office of the EDO (Health) of all the districts on May 14. The written tests for grade 5-11 will be held from 10am to 11am, while test for grade 12 to 15 will be held at 2pm.

All those who had applied for the various posts responding to advertisements of the department in 2005 are advised to appear along with their original documents in the office of EDO of their respective districts according to the schedule, added the notification.

HEALTH SECRETARY: Sindh Health Secretary Prof Noushad Shaikh has been appointed as the vice-chancellor of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, with immediate effect. He will relieve Prof Jan Mohammad Memon, who will continue as faculty member, Prof Noushad told Dawn on Friday.