KARACHI, Feb 27: Officers of dubious competence are posted at high positions provided they grease the palms of the health authorities, two senior and well-known doctors said on Friday.

In a signed statement released to Dawn, Dr Shershah Syed, in his capacity as Secretary-General of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), said: "Known corrupt people and extremely junior doctors are getting promotions because of connections or after paying money to the relevant authorities".

Dr Aziz Khan Tank, in his statement, wrote: "Day in and day out whosoever warms the pockets of the concerned authority is promoted overnight without caring for seniority. The seniority lists and other laid down criteria have been thrown into the Arabian Sea."

In the community of doctors there was so much resentment against some controversial appointments that they were planning to move the superior courts, said Dr Syed. "The doctors are planning to go to the high court for many other irregularities and total violation of rules and regulations in the department of health."

Giving some examples, the PMA's secretary-general said that some senior doctors who were both honest and competent had either been forced to step aside or were brushed aside. "It seems the health department is not interested in the smooth running of the health institutes.

"Instead, the department has become a refuge for the connected people or those who can pay for better transfer and postings." The PMA demanded that all appointments, postings and transfers should be based on merit and should be done in a transparent manner, added Dr Syed.

Dr A.K. Tank said: "Instead of streamlining the system and making it better, favouritism and nepotism have taken over the reins (of the department) at the cost of rightful and deserving persons having merit and a record of serving honestly."

He requested the governor of Sindh, the prime minister and the president to look into the issue at the earliest. He opined that a commission should be constituted to "investigate and take stern action against all illegal appointments, transfers, 'bypassing' seniority in the health department, and all other departments, which have been duly reported in the press."

Dr Tank, who is a former office-bearer of the PMA, was of the view that a few "fixed" raids on shops dealing in counterfeit medicines proved nothing. "In the past even the godown of a multinational was raided as per press reports but the story of muk-muka is common and who benefits is known to all the people... ."