KARACHI, Jan 8: While the reply to a related reference made by the provincial health minister is awaited from the caretaker chief minister, a former director-general of the Sindh health service started working as the regular chairman of the board of governors (BoG) of a public sector teaching hospital from Jan 5.

According to sources in the Sindh health department, about seven weeks ago, caretaker Health Minister Fauzia Lari, had requested caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Abdul Qadir Halepota in a letter to direct the chief secretary of Sindh to withdraw a notification pertaining to the appointment of former DG health Dr Hadi Bux Jatoi as Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad, at the earliest as it was “void and had no legal entity.”

The notification had been received in the health department on Nov 20, which said that Dr Jatoi had been appointed as chairman of the BoG on deputation till his retirement from government service on Jan 4, 2008; thereafter he would continue at the post for another three years as chairman effective from Jan 5.

When contacted, Dr Jatoi said that his appointment to the BoG was approved by former chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, much before the termination of the previous government.

“By virtue of the CM’s approval and notification issued by the chief secretary on Nov 14, now, after my retirement from the post of DG health services, Sindh, at the age of 60, I have taken over as chairman from Jan 5,” he confirmed, adding that there was no need to dispute his appointment as the outgoing CM had used his discretionary powers in approving the relevant recommendations, which were forwarded by the then chief secretary after an exercise of two months.

However, another source in the department said that the case of the former DG health at no stage was initiated by the health department and the chief secretary, too, never bothered to consult the department or the then health minister on the subject.

Referring to the relevant rules and exercises carried out in appointing a couple of other chairmen for teaching hospitals’ boards, the source said that persons who had applied for the posts against advertisements given in newspapers in the past included retired public servants or retired judges and were short-listed after certain grading in view of their previous professional careers and relevant experiences for the purpose of interviews before a final approval of the chief minister, who is authorized to do so under the Sindh Health Institutions (Establishment and Management) Ordinance, promulgated for the first time in 2006.

On March 30, 2006, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad had promulgated the aforementioned ordinance providing for the establishment and management of health institutions and constituting boards of governors to run the health institutions in the province.

The ordinance, which came into force at once, was deemed to have taken effect from Nov 1, 2005. The said ordinance has been re-promulgated from time to time.

‘The ordinance wasn’t in force’

In her letter to the CM, the caretaker health minister mentioned that the ordinance in question had expired on Oct 23 and as such all orders issued with regard to the BoGs were void and of no legal validity.

Moreover, she noted that neither an advertisement was placed nor interviews/selection was held for the appointment of the chairman, adding that the chief secretary had no powers to appoint Dr Jatoi as the BoG’s chairman.

When contacted, Ms Lari confirmed that she had written a letter expressing her reservations on the subject, but felt sorry to note that neither had it been acknowledged by the CM Secretariat nor had any quarter communicated with her so far.

“I have requested the CM to look into the matter and advise the chief secretary to withdraw the notification in question immediately,” she said.

However, Dr Jatoi said that the health minister had nothing to do with the matter as all the formalities had already been met by the chief secretary.

“I did not need to apply afresh for the BoG slot as I am already a pre-qualified party on the basis that I had applied for the post in response to a government advertisement related to the BoG at some other occasion,” he maintained.