PESHAWAR, Sept 15: A two-member Peshawar High Court bench on Thursday directed the provincial Health Department to ensure early implementation of its orders for declaration of the services of health professionals as essential service and formation of arbitration committees for solution of their problems.

The bench composed of Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Yahya Afridi had summoned top health officials, including Special Secretary Health Noorul Iman, Director General (Health Services) Dr Sharif Ahmad and chief executives of the provincial capital's three major hospitals.

During the hearing, the judges regretted that paramedics of a leading Peshawar hospital were on a strike when the victims of the Tuesday terrorist attack on a school van were shifted there.

“We won't allow anyone to play with the lives of the people. Had the services of health professionals been declared as essential service, the strike could have been prevented,” Justice Dost said.

The judges said they had ordered formation of impartial panels in major hospitals to address issues between health professionals and the department.

The special secretary said the institution management councils were in place in major autonomous hospitals for the purpose.

He, however, complained that the court provided relief to the health professionals punished by the department for dereliction of duty.

The judges said IMCs headed by chief executives of hospitals were partial and directed the department to ensure that impartial persons like district and sessions judges headed the councils.

The secretary highlighted the steps taken by the department to bring services on a par with international standards in line with the court directions.

He said the accident and emergency department in every hospital had been strengthened by provision of better equipment and establishment of special wards for the comfort of patients.

Mr Iman said the department had also begun a Rs1.2 billion hepatitis prevention programme, adding incinerators had also been installed in all hospitals for waste disposal.

The judges also said they had learnt that most medicines provided to patients by government hospitals were substandard and had no efficacy.

The director general (health services) informed the court about the mechanism adopted by the Medicines Coordination Committee for medicine purchase. He said medicines were procured only after proper examination and laboratory tests.

The judges said doctors of district hospitals in the province didn't properly perform duty and were often found absent from work, especially during nighttime.

They said the health department should develop a proper mechanism for ensuring presence of doctors on duty.