KHAR: A row has erupted over the filling of sweeper posts in the Agency Headquarters Hospital here as agency surgeon Dr Wazir Khan Safi and medical superintendent of the hospital Dr Mohammad Noor separately began recruitment process lately.

The posts totaling 35 have been lying vacant for a long time.

Sources told Dawn that Dr Safi, who headed the local health department, and Dr Noor had developed differences over the appointments and declared themselves to be the ‘competent authority’ before initiating separate processes to fill the posts.

They said the two had agreed four weeks ago that the sweepers would be appointed through consultation to ensure ‘merit and transparency’.

The sources, however, said Dr Safi and Dr Noor violated the agreement by issuing separate adverts in newspapers after the Fata director (health services) formally approved the posts for advertising.

They said the two later launched the own selection process and began receiving applications.

The sources said for the first time in the agency’s history, the health department and Khar hospital had begun parallel advertisement and selection processes for the same posts.

They claimed that top bosses of the Fata health services directorate, including director, didn’t act against the two and asked them for early completion of the selection process and even named representatives for both selection committees.

When contacted, Dr Safi confirmed that he had initiated an exercise for the appointment of sweepers to the Khar hospital.

He said a proper selection committee was in the final stages of making appointments and that the successful candidates would get appointment letters in few days.

“The committee is competent to ensure merit and transparency in the selection process,” he said, adding that under the rules, the appointment of sweepers and other lower staff members to any health institutions in the region was the right of the agency surgeon.

Khar AHQ Hospital deputy MS Dr Naseeb Gul, however, insisted that only MS was empowered to make recruitment in own hospital.

He said the posts were for the hospital and therefore, no one other than the MS could involve himself in recruitment.

Dr Naseeb, however, said the agency surgeon could appoint lower staff members to any health institutions but the Khar hospital was exception.

He said the committee formed by the MS began the filling of sweeper posts on March 28 and was likely to finish it in the next three days.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2018