Capital Hospital doctor reinstated after seven years’ absence

ISLAMABAD: Federal cabinet secretary has disowned a mysterious reinstatement of a senior doctor after around seven years of his ‘disappearance’ in the USA.
The dramatic notification of “reinstatement” of Dr Naveed Ashfaq, the former head of the Department of Surgery in Capital Hospital, Islamabad, was issued simply few minutes before Raja Hassan Abbaas took charge as the federal secretary cabinet on April 7. Raja was appointed cabinet secretary after Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad was posted as secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Dr Naveed Ashfaq was accused of negligence during an operation of a nurse on June 20, 2008, which resulted in the death of the woman serving in medical profession. The woman was earlier operated two days before on June 18, 2008, by two other doctors of Gynaecology Department.
Meanwhile, he moved to USA in August 2008 after getting ex-Pakistan leave, instead of facing the inquiry. The inquiry committee, after thorough hearings of around two years, held him and two other doctors responsible in May 2010 and recommended major penalty of their removal from service. Consequently, they were sacked.
One senior lady doctor moved an appeal against the decision while Dr Naveed opted not to appeal. The lady doctor was reinstated with one grade demotion, from Grade-19 to Grade-18. After completion of two years in the USA, Dr Naveed applied for extension of three months in his leave in 2010 which was turned down. The record shows that after his sacking he visited Pakistan many times and also visited his former organization, Capital Hospital, but never challenged decision of the inquiry committee though he could move appeal within 90 days of the decision.
Dr Naveed remained in USA for seven years without any intimation and suddenly on April 7, 2015, the Cabinet Division directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA), through notification NoI/73/2010-CDA-III, to reinstate Dr Naveed on his position and allow him to join a “fresh inquiry”. Usually, senior doctors want leave for USA or some Western or wealthy countries to earn big money, but it is not possible for doctors in government service for such longer period because of rules and regulation of the government service.
Doctors can avail ex-Pakistan leave in accordance with the length of their service. Doctors serving the people with dedication rarely use to avail such an opportunity and if they avail they have to come back and join their service within approved-leave time; otherwise, they have to lose their job.
The case of Dr Naveed, however, has set a new example that if any doctor will go abroad illegally without taking mandatory permission, he will come back in government service with dignity and all benefits using some reference or bribing some “honest” bureaucratic head but if he will try to seek such a long leave of seven years legally, he will be denied.
Dr Naveed, while talking The News, insisted that there was nothing illegal in his absence of seven years from service.
Federal Cabinet Secretary Raja Hassan Abbas, when approached by The News on Saturday, said that he was unaware of any such case. When the April 7 notification was read to him, he said that he joined as secretary cabinet on April 7 and this notification might have been issued before he taking the charge of his office. He said that he could not say who has approved this reinstatement, the previous secretary cabinet or some officials of the Cabinet Division having temporary charge as secretary.
Dr Naveed said that he was not responsible for the death of the woman. He said that his sacking by the inquiry committee was illegal as he never appeared before the inquiry committee. He said that the decision of the inquiry committee was overturned during the appeal and the senior gynaecologist was reinstated so it was also his right to be reinstated.
When told that during the appeal, the senior lady doctor was reinstated but was also demoted as a punishment, he said he was unaware of this. He said that he has given a representation to “secretary cabinet”. When asked to name the secretary cabinet, he said that he has forgotten the name of cabinet secretary and could not recollect it even during the third call of this scribe. It was obvious that he was not willing to name the secretary who has reinstated him after seven years of absence from service. Dr Naveed admitted that he continued earning money while in the USA and insisted that it was his right to live abroad and to do job. He claimed that he continued to avail “leave” even after his sacking in 2010 but didn’t name the CDA officials who granted him leave.
However, top CDA officials confirmed to The News that no such leave was granted to Dr Naveed after 2010, and he continued doing jobs in USA without any ex-Pakistan leave after 2010 and now want to join the service on the same position.
When Dr Naveed was asked shouldn’t he first face the inquiry and then be reinstated, he said that for facing an inquiry an officer must be reinstated on his position and without that he couldn’t become part of any inquiry.