FAISALABAD, May 25: A belated move by the management of the district headquarters hospital has jeopardized the future of over 100 candidates who have been asked to reappear for the medical examination for the posts of police constables.
The hospital has declared medical fitness certificates bogus reportedly on the ground that former MS Dr Muhammad Siddique had issued them in back dates. The administration claims that candidates were declared fit despite having reports of HBsAG and HCV positive.
An officials source said the move was outcome of a refit between the sitting MS and his predecessor.
The police department had directed 1,720 successful candidates to approach the DHQ hospital for medical tests which started in March.
The hospital administration conducted these tests keeping in view the directive of the Punjab government for service eligibility in respect of people with HbsAG and HCV positive. The tests included HbsAG (Hepatitis B), anti-HCV (Hepatitis C), LFTs, Polymerise Chain Reaction (PCR), abdominal and ultrasound.
Since the DHQ has no facility for PCR tests, candidates were asked to approach private laboratories.
Sources said the police department had issued appointment letters to candidates declared fit by the DHQ hospital. After receiving complaints from the hospital administration, postings of 114 candidates were halted.
They said that scores of candidates had obtained fitness certificates after greasing the palms of the hospital staff.
A list of 99 candidates, who reportedly submitted bogus fitness certificates despite the detection of hepatitis B and C viruses, has also been handed over to the police department.
Besides, they said the hospital administration had also forwarded two more lists to the police department wherein 10 candidates, despite their absence from tests, had also succeeded in obtaining fitness certificates. The list identified the candidates as Murid Abbas, Muhammad Saeed, Safdar Ali, Shakeel Ahmed, Muhammad Waseem, Nasrullah Khan, Muhammad Shahid, Shahnawaz, Abdul Ghaffar and Zaheer Ahmed.
They claimed the second list indicated that the former MS had issued fitness certificates to Shahid Iqbal, Muhammad Mudassar, Asif Raza, Altaf Hussain and Faisal Mehmood in back dates after his transfer from the hospital.
Insiders said that a deep fissure between medical superintendent Dr Imtiaz Hamid and his team with Dr Siddique caused an embarrassing situation to the hospital.
“How the hospital administration found the list of the candidates to whom bogus certificates were issued by the former MS?” they asked.
Sources said efforts were being made by the administration to vilify Mr Siddique who was transferred on the recommendation of a political figure associated with the ruling party.
They said that administration’s orders would put a financial burden on the candidates, mostly belonging to the poor families.
Senior police officers were also aware of the tussle between the two doctors, but they seemed to be reluctant to interfere in the matter.
When contacted, Dr Imtiaz said that he had nothing to do with politics or with Dr Siddique. He said his deputy medical superintendent Dr Tariq Rasheed took up the issue with him when he assumed the charge. He said the matter would soon be resolved.
Dr Siddique said that he did nothing wrong and fitness certificates had been issued according to the government instructions. He, however, kept a mum over the question of a rift with Dr Hamid and a few of his subordinates.