DHO Mardan removed for ‘failure to meet demands’

PESHAWAR: After removing the entire Board of Governors (BoG) of Medical Teaching Institute Nowshera Medical College, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government got rid of district health officer (DHO) Mardan for his alleged failure to satisfy the PTI elite and fulfill their never-ending demands.

Sources told The News that KP government unceremoniously removed DHO Mardan Dr Fazle Malik and appointed Dr Fazle Hadi to replace him.

No obvious reasons were cited for unexpected replacement of Dr Fazle Malik, known among his colleagues and fellow workers for his principles and integrity.

Dr Fazle Malik, when approached, avoided commenting on the issue and argued that being a government servant, he can be transferred and posted anywhere and anytime.

However, senior government officials told The News that the DHO was removed after his alleged failure to fulfill demands of the PTI elite in Mardan and Swabi.

“He was a gentleman and did whatever was possible for him to accommodate the people recommended to him by the PTI leadership in Mardan and Swabi. However, a recent ban on new recruitment imposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan and endorsed by the Supreme Court tied his hands but the PTI leadership didn’t bother to understand it,” said a senior government official on condition of anonymity.

A similar allegation was levelled by some members of the BoG of Nowshera Medical College (NMC) against the PTI leadership.

“We accommodated whoever they sent to us but how could we appoint a nurse in place of a doctor,” said one BoG member.

Efforts were made to seek comments of Health Minister Shahram Tarakai, but as usual he neither attended phone call nor replied to a text message delivered to his cellphone.