Medical superintendents assume charge on regular basis

Rawalpindi : Medical superintendents have assumed charge of their seats on regular basis at the three teaching hospitals in town including Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital which were operating with MSs having additional charge of the posts for nearly three months.

The Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department Punjab has appointed Dr. Nasir Mehmood, a BPS-20 officer as medical superintendent at the HFH and another BPS-20 officer Dr. Rafiq Ahmed as MS at the BBH while Professor Dr. Farzana Zafar serving in BPS-20 has been appointed as MS at the DHQ Hospital.

The seat of MS at BBH was lying vacant since February 4 this year after suspension of Dr. Tariq Masood Niazi who was suspended after refusal to the ‘request’ of Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat regarding posting of a female doctor, daughter of PML-N’s leader Hanif Abbasi.

After his suspension, the additional charge of the seat of MS at BBH was given to Dr. Samina Shaheen but later the charge of the post was given to Dr. Nasir Mehmood who had already additional charge of the post of MS at HFH and regular charge of the post of MS at Institute of Urology.

MS at HFH Dr. Shahzad Ahmed was transferred on January 8 this year on administrative grounds with immediate effect after the prime minister’s surprise visits to HFH and DHQ Hospital on January 7 and at that time, Dr. Nasir was given additional charge of the seat of MS at HFH.

On March 11 this year, the MS at DHQ Hospital in town Dr. Khalid Mehmood Randhawa was transferred and posted as additional principal medical officer (APMO) at BBH while additional charge of the post was given to Senior Medical Officer serving as Director Emergency at DHQ Hospital in BPS 18 Dr. Khalid Abbas Janjua.

After removal of Dr. Niazi as MS BBH, the Young Doctors Association Punjab staged protest demonstrations for his reinstatement on which the Punjab government announced that it would reinstate Dr. Niazi though later the post of MS BBH was advertised.

It is also important that Dr. Niazi was posted as regular MS at BBH on November 5 last year, in 2018 after proper selection by the Punjab health department but he could serve only for three months on the post and suspended after he refused to obey the Punjab law minister.

It is also worth mentioning here that at least for the last three to four months, there has been great unrest among medical professionals serving at public sector healthcare facilities in the Punjab province due to alleged political interference of politicians from the ruling PTI and its allied parties.