PESHAWAR: Fifteen management cadre doctors, promoted to BPS-20 three months ago, are still awaiting their appointment to administrative positions, say officials of the health department.

They told Dawn that on the recommendation of the provincial selection board, which met last August, the health department promoted those doctors from BPS-19 to BPS-20 and issued the promotion notification on Sept 23, but even more than three months later, they continued to work in the previous grades.

The officials said several BPS-20 management cadre positions had been held by junior management cadre or general cadre doctors for the last few years.

They said except for districts like Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Kohat and Swabi, where BPS-20 doctors served as the district health officers, most districts had those positions occupied by general cadre or management cadre doctors from lower grades.

CM aide says he has signed summary, appointments will be made soon

The officials also said in Lower Dir district, a doctor from the general cadre had been posted as DHO though the position was designated for a BPS-20 management cadre doctor.

They said similarly, Dera Ismail Khan, Abbottabad, Haripur and Shangla districts had DHOs from BPS-19 and general cadre.

The officials said that general cadre doctors were required to work in public sector hospitals and take care of patients, while administrative positions, such as DHOs, medical superintendents and directors, were meant for doctors with administrative qualifications.

They also said that even within the directorate-general of health services, which had five BPS-20 positions, including one of director-general and four of additional director general, one of those posts was held by a BPS-19 doctor.

The officials said that in Mardan district, one doctor had been acting as DHO and medical superintendent of the district headquarters hospital for more than two years simultaneously. Likewise, two of the four BPS-20 positions of regional director health are held by general cadre doctors and one by a BPS-19 doctor.

The officials said that the health department was bound by rules to prepare a summary for action on promotion notification before sending it to the health minister to forward it to the chief secretary. It will then be examined by the establishment department before being sent to the chief minister for consent.

They said that under rules, those doctors would continue to receive BPS-19 salary until they’re appointed to BPS-20 positions.

According to the health department’s notification, the promoted medics will remain on probation for one year, with orders for their postings and transfers to be issued afterward.

The officials said those doctors had been working on management positions for around two decades, with many nearing retirement, so there were fears that if they didn’t get BPS-20 postings soon, they would retire in BPS-19.

They said that the province had sufficient management positions to accommodate the recently-promoted doctors and thus, utilising their experience for furthering the cause of healthcare.

The officials added that the BPS-20 postings of those medics would ensure the return of general cadre doctors to hospitals where they’re required for patient care.

When contacted, adviser to the chief minister on health Ihtesham Ali said that he signed the summary for the promoted doctors’ postings last week and sent it to the chief secretary.

He said the promoted doctors would be appointed to BPS-20 positions “soon.”

“We are severely short of administrative positions, and in many places, general cadre doctors are performing such roles against rules,” he said.

Mr Ali said that for the first time in history, the health department was recruiting around 250 management cadre doctors through the public service commission to manage affairs more professionally and effectively.

He acknowledged many of the promoted doctors neared retirement, so the health department was expediting their BPS-20 postings.

“We need professional doctors for administrative positions, so reforms are being carried out in the health sector,“he said.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2025