PESHAWAR, Nov 25: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani has taken a serious notice of some employees of the health department not being punctual and has directed them to ensure their presence at the office, sources said.

The directives, issued by the Chief Minister's House some time back, said that it had come into the notice of the chief minister that many employees, including doctors and clerks, were not taking interest in their duties and remained absent from their work places.

"The absence of the staff has adversely been affecting the performance of the health department, because most of the employees posted elsewhere in the province come to the provincial offices for their work," said an official.

He said that many women employees, including lady doctors, nurses and midwives visited the office of directorate-general of health, but returned when found that staff was absent. Such employees visited the offices again and again for the solution of their problems and in the process people in their areas suffered.