PESHAWAR, Oct 8: At least 500 medical officers working for four teaching hospitals of the province have been waiting for their promotion for the past 15 years, according to informed sources.

The sources said on Monday the length of the medical officers’ services varied from 15 to 18 years and the lack of service structure had hindered their promotion.

Medical officers of the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) in Peshawar and the Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) in Abbottabad said they treated about 80 per cent of the patients brought to their hospitals, but the teaching staff were proving to be a stumbling block to their promotion.

The promotion of the doctors had been approved by the NWFP Assembly in October 1999 through an act named the NWFP Medical and Health Institutes’ Reforms Act. The ordinance, promulgated in 2002, had outlined the process of promotion of these doctors, but, the sources said, doctors falling in the category of teaching cadres in these hospitals, had successfully blocked their promotion.

The law aimed at granting financial and administrative autonomy to the four teaching hospitals had clearly mentioned that for promotions, move-overs, grant of selection grade etc., of the employees opting for absorption, shall be treated as employees of the institutions.

The existing government employees, serving in the institutions who did not opt for absorption, shall continue to work as civil servants until their retirement, said the ordinance.

The sources said that attraction for those opting for institutions’ employment was that promotions to next grades would be made from among those staff members who had opted for absorption.

Besides, the sources said, they would have better chances of promotions because the law stated that special seats be created for the employees of the institution.

Their promotion and selection would be recommended by an Institution Management Council (IMC) which, under the chief executive, would run the institutions.

“But those doctors who had opted for institutions’ employment are yet to be promoted to next grades in line with the law,” the sources said.

Last year, the health department notified an amendment to Rule 10 of the law which stated that promotions rules were only applicable to the teaching staff, which deprived MOs and other staff of their legitimate right of promotions in these institutions. According to rules, amendment to law is the job of provincial assembly.

The NWFP Chief Secretary, in response to an application filed by 62 doctors of the HMC, had asked the health department in 2005 to apply the rules pertaining to promotions of the law, to those who had opted for institution’s employment.

“But the chief secretary’s directives went unheeded,” said a source. He also said that the teaching staff of these hospitals, officials of health secretariat and directorate were adamant to relinquish the power, thereby rendering the law ineffective.

He said the law had provided for quick absorption of the employees and appointments and promotions, but the IMC’s meetings are yet to take place.