PESHAWAR, Jan 30: The NWFP health department has introduced administrative cadre for the first time in the health sector with a view to ensuring better administrative and financial management as well as improving health delivery system in the province.

A notification in this regard was issued last month, wherein 325 administrative posts were identified, officials said. The management cadre posts include BPS-20 (25), BPS-19 (128), BPS-18 (71) and BPS-17 (101).

The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), Health Management Service Rule, 2008, had come into force immediately after which the administrative posts, such as directors, executive district officers, medical superintendents, deputy medical superintendents, agency surgeons, programme managers and other posts had been identified as management posts. The persons to be appointed on these posts would be required to have Master in Public Health degrees from a recognised medical institute.

The officials said every officer in BPS-17 would complete six months mandatory training that would be followed by departmental examination to be conducted by the Provincial Health Services Academy (PHSA), which would be part of the probation period. Selection of employees for in-service training linked with promotion would be done on seniority basis and those at the verge of promotion would be given priority.

Officers opting for management cadre would be required to have relevant qualification from institutes recognised by the Higher Education Commission and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.

No member of the management cadre would be allowed private practice because they would be entitled to non-practicing allowance. In case of violation, the member would face disciplinary action.

The health department, the officials said, would fill in the designated management cadre posts by way of permanent transfers from among the general cadre in equivalent pay scale, who have required qualifications.

However, if the number of officers opting for absorption in the management cadre was more than the available positions in respective grades, selection would be made on the basis of seniority-cum-merit, they said. Qualification, including courses, managerial experience and training of the officers concerned would be considered.

The officials said the government had also designed training manual for the new doctors opting for the management cadre with a view to imparting them knowledge regarding official procedures, financial, procurement rules and regulations and business and other official functions to take maximum benefit from their working as health managers. The course is also designed to enhance their skills and knowledge in planning, management and leadership and routine office procedure.

The officials said the decision to introduce management cadre in the health department had been taken in the fulfilment of the National Health Policy, 2001, which had made it obligatory upon the provincial governments to introduce it. The National Health Policy calls for introduction of administrative cadre from rural health centres to tertiary-care hospitals to ensure better management in the health sector and improve patients’ care.

They said after the passage of the 17th Constitutional Amendment, it had become mandatory for the provincial health department to introduce administrative cadre. The other provinces had either completely or partially implemented it, they added.

They said doctors presently working on administrative posts were unaware of administrative laws and were entirely at the mercy of office superintendents, who often misguided them on administrative matters.

There were about 300 doctors in the NWFP who had done MPH and whose experience and skills could not be utilised owing to lack of separate cadre for them, but now their services could be used, officials the said.