Overcoming human resource shortage: KP govt to hire health staff on ad hoc, contract bases

PESHAWAR: The KP government has decided to hire doctors and other health professionals on ad hoc and contract bases to overcome the shortage of human resource in healthcare facilities.

It was decided in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday, said an official handout. Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz, Secretary Establishment Mutahir Zeb, Secretary Law Masood Ahmad and other relevant officials attended the meeting. The meeting decided to constitute a committee headed by secretary Establishment to come up with feasible proposals to remove the complications involved in the posting transfer of health professionals.

It was decided to devolve the posting/transfer powers of health staff, except for the top management posts, to the department level with the aim to bring in more efficiency in the department. Earlier, the meeting was briefed about the total sanctioned strength of health professionals, vacant positions, issues in the timely recruitment of staff, negative impacts of delay in the recruitment process of health professionals on the overall services delivery, administrative issues at district level and other matters related to the services delivery in the sector.

The participants agreed to the proposal of introducing a locum system and recruitment of medical staff on ad hoc and contract basis so that deficiency of doctors and other allied staff in public hospitals of the selected districts could be fulfilled as soon as possible. The issue of increase in the upper age limit for the recruitment of medical officers, strengthening of the management system of hospitals and empowering the district health officers and medical superintendents was discussed. The quarters concerned were directed to submit feasible proposals in this regard. The chief minister assured the government would provide all the required financial resources on a priority basis to strengthen the healthcare system.