Hepatitis Programme Manager: Officials issued notice over plea against appointment

Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Secretary Health, Project Director of Hepatitis Prevention & Control Programme Sindh, and other medical officers in response to a petition challenging the appointment of a programme manager of Hepatitis Programme. Petitioner Dr Mohammad Dawood Otho through his counsel also pleaded the court to order an enquiry into misappropriations into funds of Hepatitis Programme.
The petitioner submitted that Chief Minister Sindh initiated Hepatitis Prevention & Control Programme, Sindh, for three years from 2008 to 2011, but hepatitis diseases drastically affected the people in province of Sindh, due to which programme was extended till 2015.
He submitted that Dr Ayaz Ali Memon, who was junior medical officer in grade 18, was illegally posted as programme manager of Hepatitis Prevention & Control Programme on own pay scale in August, 2012, despite the very fact that senior medical officers were available.
He alleged that Dr Ayaz, being junior officer and having been appointed on political favouritism, misappropriated the funds of Hepatitis Programme and ruined its objectives. The petitioner said that post of programme manager of Hepatitis Programme was of BPS-19/20, also having additional qualification and experience, but this all was ignored due to the political influence.
He maintained that during the tenure of Dr Ayaz as programme manager, that programme was highly damaged as he embezzled millions of funds of Hepatitis Programme by awarding tender of hepatitis medicines without transparency which also caused loss in millions to the public exchequer. The petitioner through his counsel, Ahmed Ghumro, said that later Dr Dhani Bux Thebo, who was in grade-19 with vast experience, was handpicked by a panel of doctors and was also recommended by the chief minister on October 9.