LAHORE: The Punjab health department has been blatantly violating criteria for the posting and transfer of senior doctors against top administrative positions at the teaching and district hospitals of the province to the chagrin of senior medics having relevant qualification and experience.

Such violations have perturbed many BS-20 officials as several BS-19 doctors have been accommodated against senior positions reserved for them. The newly appointed health additional secretary Dr Salman Shahid is also among the beneficiaries.

A senior government official who is familiar with the transfer-posting matters said the major violations were committed while posting medical superintendents (MSs) at the teaching hospitals in Lahore, besides appointing health executive district officers (EDOs).

Even, he said, the rules of business were flouted while filling important position of health additional secretary (technical).

He said the health department even bypassed the chief minister to fill the post as it sent a ‘note for the chief secretary’ instead of preparing a summary. Interestingly, Punjab Aids Control Programme Director Dr Salman Shahid was mentioned as the only candidate in the ‘note’.

According to the rules, he said, the health department was to recommend a panel of three candidates in a summary to be sent to the CM for posting of one of them against the slot. Dr Salman replaced Dr Anwar Janjua who has proceeded on six-month leave due to personal reasons.

The BS-19 slot of additional health secretary (technical) was approved for the health department by the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD). The post is usually occupied by an official from the provincial cadre. This time, more than 20 BS-19 doctors were interested in the post but they were neither consulted nor contacted in this regard.

Health Secretary Dr Aijaz Munir blamed the previous administration for such ‘illegal appointments’. Talking to Dawn, he said that these postings were made before he took the charge of the department. “The matter is already in my knowledge and I am going to review all the transfers and postings made in violation of the rules,” he said.

According to the official, despite having more than 55 BS-20 doctors on its strength, the health department has recently posted some BS-19 doctors against senior positions.

He cited the case of Dr Pervez Imtiaz, a BS-19 official, who was transferred as additional medical superintendent (AMS) from the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and posted as Lahore General Hospital medical superintendent against a BS-20 seat.

Similarly, another BS-19 official, AMS Dr Nasir Bhatti, has been transferred from the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and posted as executive director of the Punjab Institute of Mental Health, a BS-20 slot. PIC Medical Superintendent Dr Obaida Nighat, a BS-19 official, is also occupying BS-20 seat in violation of the posting criteria.

Lady Willingdon Hospital MS is also a junior doctor working against the BS-20 post. Dr Sohail Saqlain, a BS-19 official, has been posted as Provincial Health Development Centre director which is also a BS-20 seat. He had also served the health department as additional secretary technical.

Quoting from a seniority list of BS-20 administrative cadre doctors available in Punjab, the official said that more than 30 out of the total 90 senior officials had retired in 2013.

He said some 35 administrative cadre BS-20 doctors were available for filling top positions at teaching hospitals and the Directorate of Health Services Punjab. Some of them were accommodated against the ordinary positions despite having relevant qualification and experience, he added.

He also quoted the case of former MS of the Sheikhupura District Headquarters Hospital Dr Ziaullah Cheema, a BS-20 official, who was posted as principal medical officer (PMO) at the Lady Willingdon Hospital which is being headed by his junior colleague.

Similarly, Dr Waqar Bajwa has been appointed as medical superintendent of Lady Aitchison Hospital, a very small-scale facility known for only gyne-related services, while his juniors are occupying top positions at some teaching hospitals.

Provincial TB Control Programme Manager Dr Muhammad Naeem is also a BS-20 administrative cadre doctor but he was also not considered for any teaching hospital and transferred and posted as Government Shahdra Hospital medical superintendent.

Some other BS-20 doctors who are not being considered for the top positions include former Health director general Dr Tanvir Ahmad, former executive director Punjab Institute of Mental Health Dr Mubashar Attique Azhar, Maternal Newborn and Child Health Project Director Dr Zafar Ikram, National Programme for Lady Health Workers and Family Planning provincial coordinator Dr Javed Umar, Communicable Disease Control Director Dr Ahmed Afifi and health services divisional director Dr Inamul Haq.