HYDERABAD: The Sindh health secretary has formed a three-member committee to ascertain facts about the matter pertaining to the forcible taking away of sensitive official record from the Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) allegedly by its director Abdul Sattar Jatoi.

According to a health department notification issued on Wednesday, the committee is headed by Director General of Health Services Dr Waqar Mahmood while the other members are Nazir Ahmed Rind, Director PHDC (Provincial Health Development Centre), Jamshoro, and Ishtiaque Ahmed Rajput, Medical Superintendent Services Hospital, Hyderabad.

As per its terms of reference (ToRs), the committee will ascertain facts regarding allegations against Abdul Sattar Jatoi, Director (BS-20) LUH, Hyderabad / Jamshoro regarding forcibly taking away sensitive official government record of accounts section (budget section), bulk store pharmacy, local purchase section, miscellaneous & disposal store and pathology store.

The committee will recommend necessary action as per relevant rules and submit inquiry report / findings of inquiry within seven days.

The committee has been formed following a request made by the then LUH medical superintendent Dr Kashif Ali Memon. He had informed the health secretary on October 14, in continuation of his October 7 letter, that he had formed a committee headed by Dr Poonam Jatoi, a BS-19 officer but this committee had declined to hold the inquiry as the officer concerned was in BS-20 grade.

MS Memon said that he then formed another committee under the chairmanship of Muneer Ahmed Sheikh, the chief superintendent medical officer (BS-20) on October 7 but this committee also requested that this inquiry should be conducted by those who had requisite expertise in the matter.

The MS further informed the secretary that he wrote to the Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS) vice chancellor, who is chairman of the LUH Hospital Management Board (by virtue of his office), to nominate some senior officers but did not get response from him. “The matter is sensitive in its nature; your good office is requested to guide undersigned regarding this matter,” the MS said.

In his October 7 letter to the health secretary, the then MS had mentioned that Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad circuit bench had passed interim orders on CP-1298/2024 on October 3 and on October 4, the LUH officer took away sensitive official (original) government record (mentioned above).

Through the October 3 order, as mentioned by the MS, a division bench of Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad circuit comprising Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi and Justice Amjad Ali Bohio had suspended notification of the health officer’s posting in the LUH as director.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2024