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Karachi, December 09, 2016 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in order to meet health emergency he had imposed to improve services has directed his legal team to seek permission from the Supreme Court to recruit 6000 doctors on emergency basis. He took this decision while presiding over a meeting on Health Department issues here at the CM House today. The meeting was attended by Minister Health Dr Sikanadar Mendhro, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Principal Secretary to CM Naveed Kamran Baloch, Health Secretary Usman Chachar, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi and others.
The chief minister said that he had declared health emergency under which health services were to be made available round clock in government hospital but “I am sorry this emergency would produce results for poor people when shortage of doctors would be met by making new recruitments,” he said.
He added that he wanted to recruit 6000 doctors who had qualified SPSC written test but the court has stopped commission from working. The Supreme Court has also stopped implementation of the SPSC recommendations. The chief minister directed Advocate General Zameer Ghumro to file an urgent application with the Supreme Court requesting it to allow recruitment of 6000 doctors on humanitarian grounds.
The chief minister was told that the appointment of 6000 doctors may create rural urban quota issues. May be more doctors of rural areas or urban areas have qualified the written exam than their allocated seats. On this he the chief minister said that the people of Rural and Urban areas were equally dear to him. “If any problem develops I would create more positions where shortage is identified,” he said and added he would not deprive rural or urban domiciled doctors. He directed chief secretary to personally monitor these issues and settle them as he feels fit legally.
Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the health department to work out posting plan for the proposed 6000 doctors. This plan must be hospital specific means where there is need doctor must be posted there. Giving policy decision, the chief minister directed the chief secretary to put a condition in the offer letters of doctors to be recruited shortly that they would have to work in rural areas at least for two years.
“Those who fail to serve in rural areas for the required period of two years would not be eligible for onward promotion,” he said categorically. He also directed the chief secretary to make necessary amendment in the APT rules for in-service doctors (already in service) to serve in rural areas for at least two years. This condition would apply for in service doctors from June 2017. Those who avoided to serve in rural areas by going on leave would not be eligible for promotion in the next grade. It means every doctor without any gap has to serve in rural area if he/she wants promotion in next grade.
Talking about doctors working on contract basis in Thar, the chief minister directed health department to submit proposal for their regularization. “They have served ailing people of desert area and they must be rewarded for,” he said and directed chief secretary to get their Thar allowance released at the earliest. On this the secretary health Usman Chachar said that he had worked out a plan to include Special Thar allowance in the salaries of doctors working in Thar.
The Chief Minister talking a policy decision directed health department in develop Information Management System (IMS) for the entire staff members working in health department. “You must have an on-line data who is working where and how much salary he/she is taking when his last promotion was made and when next promotion is due, how many disciplinary actions have been taken against him/her and how much leave he/she has availed and what is the status of his/her attendance,” he elaborated and directed him this must be done within two months. “This would help you to ward off ghost doctors/employees, if any and would improve health services.” The chief minister gave them this month and said by end of December the entire process must be completed.
For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019 (Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk