LAHORE, Dec 15: The Punjab government plans to promote 11 senior doctors to grade 21 in recognition of their ‘meritorious services’ in their career, says a source.

The Health Department has asked the nominated 11 medical professors to submit the detail of their qualifications, achievements in the last three years such as research publications and other significant contributions by them in their specialized area, according to a Health Department letter issued on Dec 10.

A source said any nominee with a below 80 per cent marks in their annual confidential reports (ACRs) and adverse or average remarks would not qualify for promotion.

The cases of promotion will be finalised in a special selection board meeting.

As the government has yet to go through the doctors’ credentials, it seems strange to nominate the doctors first for the prized grade and seek their record later.

All the nominated people are the top 11 people on the seniority list.

The nominated doctors, according to the official seniority list, are: Gujranwala Medical College Principal Prof Dr Attiya Mubarak; King Edward Medical University’s (KEMU’s) Prof Dr Tehseenun Nabi Sahi; Nishtar Medical College Principal Dr Pervaiz Akbar Khan; KEMU’s Prof Dr Azhar Hameed, KEMU’s Prof Dr Maaz Ahmad; Children’s Hospital Dean Dr Tahir Masood Ahmad, KEMU’s Prof Dr Syed Muhammad Awais; Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology’s Prof Dr Asghar Ali Randhawa; KEMU’s Prof Dr Atif Husnain Kazmi; Services Institute of Medical Sciences Principal Dr Faisal Masood, and Children’s Hospital Prof Dr Muhammad Afzal Sheikh.

The authorities, however, dropped Allied Hospital In Charge Prof Dr Mussadiq Khan from the nominees despite the fact that he was the eighth on the seniority list.

Of the nominees, only three are the principals of teaching institutions. The other teaching institutions in Punjab are being headed by those who are junior to these doctors.

A senior doctor, who heads a teaching institution, criticised the government’s decision of promoting doctors on the basis of seniority only.

Requesting not to be named, the doctor said the Health Department was going to promote the doctors in recognition of their“meritorious services” while the only meritorious service seemed their seniority “which is a clear violation of the laid down policy”.

He claimed “meritorious services” meant excellent ACRs, academic achievements and career decorated with extraordinary work.

A Health Department source said that in the past only 10 medics could get grade 21, which included former Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) chief executive Prof Dr Jawad Sajid, former Allama Iqbal Medical College principal Prof Dr Sibtul Husnain,former KEMU principals Prof Dr Iftikhar Ahmad and Prof Dr Bashir Ahmad and former KEMU vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mumtaz Hassan.

Around a dozen posts of grade 21 have been lying vacant since the retirement of senior doctors.

Former PIC medical superintendent Dr Riaz Chaudhry was the only doctor from the general cadre promoted to grade 21 while no nursing cadre official has made to the prized grade.

The source said the general cadre doctors serving in grade 20 at present were almost equal in number to the teaching cadre doctors all over the province. The Health Department, however, does not consider their cases for promotion. —Asif Chaudhry