ECP allows health ministry to appoint senior doctor as head of BHSP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has allowed the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS,R&C) to post Dr. Tariq Nawaz, being the senior most officer as the Director of the Border Health Services Pakistan.

“The Honourable Commission has been pleased to convey its concurrence regarding posting of Dr. Tariq Nawaz, Medical Officer (BS-19) being senior most officer as Director BHS-P as requested”, ECP said in a letter to NHS,R&C.

Currently, a junior most official who is in BS-17 and has no postgraduate degree or qualification regarding public health is serving as the acting director of the Border Health Services Pakistan since June 2022, causing immense unrest among BHS officials and employees.

Dr. Syed Ghulam Murtaza Shah, a medical officer of BS-17 and on 42nd number on seniority list of the BHS employees was given the look after charge of Border Health Services by the former federal health minister Abdul Qadir Patel by removing Dr. Shaista Habibullah, who is a PhD in public health from the United States, causing extreme unrest and criticism from the national and international health bodies.

The current caretaker health minister Dr. Nadeem Jan tried to remove the junior most official as head of an important and sensitive department and shifting the headquarters back to Islamabad but due to strong resistance from the federal health secretary Iftikhar Shallwani, the junior official continued to serve as Director of Border Health Security Pakistan.

It is worth mentioning here that Peshawar High Court on a petition has directed the authorities to remove Dr. Syed Ghulam Murtaza Shah, the acting Director of BHS-P being the junior most official and post the senior most official as the head of the border health security services department.

Officials in the ministry said following the directives from Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a summary has been moved to the secretary health Iftikhar Shallwani for the appointment of senior most official, Dr. Tariq Nawaz as the Director of Border Health Services Pakistan and it is expected that such directives would be issued shortly.

The BHS Pakistan is responsible for the detection of infectious diseases at the points of entry to prevent entrance of any lethal viral, bacterial or fungal disease in the country and due to sensitivity of the job, requires a public health expert with relevant qualification and experience to take measures for prevention of diseases.

Pakistan recently conducted Global Health Security Summit in Islamabad, assuring the world to take all possible measures for the prevention to infectious diseases from spreading into the world.