GUJRAT, May 6: The Gujrat district coordination officer (DCO) has appointed DHQ hospital’s additional principal medical officer (APMO) Dr Abdul Sami as acting district health officer in defiance of health secretary’s order, it is learnt.

Sources told this correspondent on Monday that the secretary had transferred DHO Inamul Haq to Bahawalpur in December last year, posting APMO Dr Aslam Butt in his place. However, DCO Agha Nadeem did not relieve Dr Haq on the plea that the matter of the transfer of an officer was rested with the district Nazim under the devolution plan, they said.

Later, the DCO said in a letter to the health secretary that the district government did not want to transfer Dr Haq.

However, fearing departmental action on the recommendation of the secretary, Dr Haq requested the DCO to relieve him from his duty so that he could take charge of the Bahawalpur hospital. The DCO, instead of appointing Dr Aslam Butt as directed by the secretary, appointed Dr Sami acting DHO.

Sources claimed that the DCO appointed Dr Sami on the advice of his accountant Luqman. They said Dr Sami was not appointed through the public service commission. Hence, he was not fit for the post of DHO. He also did not have the degree of DPH (diploma in public health and hospital administration), they concluded.