LARKANA, Feb 15: Fate of doctors, nurses, and specialists qualifying examinations of the National Testing Service (NTS) hangs in the balance.

Examinations were held in November last and the Sindh government even after the lapse of three months had not issued letters to absorb them in the Health Department.

Due to indifferent attitude of concerned quarters, successful candidates began token hunger strike which entered into 26th day on Friday outside the Larkana Press Club.

The test was conducted in six centres - Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas Nawabshah, Sukkur and Larkana for appointment in Basic Scale 16 to 18.

Sources told ‘Dawn’ that 5,287 candidates, including doctors, nurses and specialists appeared in the test, while only 1,970 qualified by securing 40 per cent or more marks.

Former Sindh Health Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed in a note to Sindh Chief Minister on November 12 recommended recruitment of qualifying candidates. The test was objective and conducted by the NTS which had the distinction of holding fair tests. He said the number of existing vacancies of nurses in BPS-16 was 704 with 422 (Rural) and 282 (Urban) while only 291 candidates could clear the test. The number of vacancies of male, female medical officers in BPS-17 was 1,605 with 963 (Rural) and 642 (Urban) while number of passing candidate was 1,584.

Likewise, number of passing candidates in the specialist cadre was 296 while vacancies were 615. Sources said the Health Department supported the recruitment by observing rural (60 per cent) and urban (40 per cent) quota. For post of nurses and specialist, candidates appearing for test were far below the number of vacancy.

Ministry had recommended that keeping in view the acute shortage of nurses and specialists and all other eligible candidates who secured 40 per cent and above marks should be selected on the basis of written test, sources said.

Speaking at the protestors’ camp, Dr Abdul Waheed Memon President Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Larkana Chapter, Dr Hafiz Gulab Morio, Dr Fayaz Soomro and others said the ratio of passing rural domiciled doctors was high but the government held up their orders which indicated something fishy.