CM approves more posts in health sector

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has approved the creation of more posts in the Directorate General of Health Services to enhance the working capacity of the Health Department.

The approval was given at a meeting chaired by the chief minister on Sunday, said an official handout.

Health and Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Health Secretary Imtiaz Hussain Shah, Finance Secretary Aatif Rehman, Director General Health Services Dr Niaz and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

The participants of the meeting were informed that the additional directors-general to be posted at the regional level would be responsible for the recruitment, transfers, postings and promotions of health employees up to Grade 15 at the regional level.

Now additional directors-general will be posted at the regional level and deputy directors at the divisional level besides certain changes to some of the administrative positions in the office of Director-General Health Services.

The new posts of additional director general South, Central, Hazara and Malakand have been added to the existing structure. Similarly, one of the new posts of Deputy Director for each division under the regional additional director general has also been created in the new structure.

Posting against the newly created positions at the regional and divisional level will be made from amongst the existing strength of the Directorate General and no fresh hiring will be made for the purpose.

They will act as reporting officers for the District Health Officers and Medical Superintendents in their respective regions and will be empowered to take disciplinary action against any employee at the region level.

It was informed that availability of medical equipment required in all health centres at the region level, close liaison with Health Management Committees of the individual healthcare facility, implementation of prescribed quality standards in services delivery in hospitals, cleanliness and waste management, identification of issues at individual hospitals and their timely solution, preparation of action plans for hospitals in consultation with concerned Medical Superintendents and its implementation and submission of regular reports to the high ups regarding the overall performance of hospitals in their respective regions will be the main responsibilities of the regional level ADGs.

The chief minister directed the Health Department officials to pay special attention to strengthening the healthcare system at the grassroots level so that primary and secondary healthcare facilities were available to the people at the local level, and thus the pressure of patients on the tertiary care hospitals was minimized.