Restructuring of federal hospitals' posts under study

The federal health ministry is contemplating to restructure posts of doctors and other relevant medical professionals serving at medical centres administered by it in different parts of the country.
Federal Health Secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood told APP here on Wednesday following interviews of the applicants against contract posts of assistant professors at JPMC, NICH, NICVD in Karachi and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, held at JPMC premises.
To a query regarding shortage of doctors and creation of fresh posts of doctors in different federal government hospitals, he said the administrations of all these centres have been asked to assess their respective needs in accordance with patient pressures and availability of facilities.
Reminded of the fact that there exists no posts for oncologist at any of the government hospitals, he consulted with JPMC Director Professor Mashoor Alam and acknowledged that oncology was a specialised field much needed in back drop of growing incidence of cancers in the country. Radiologists, have their own tremendous importance, and we would ensure that posts for specialized oncologist are created end qualified professional are appointed, he said.
Meanwhile, strongly dispelling concern among some of the doctors, he assured that the seniority of post-graduate doctors serving at federal government hospitals will not be compromised with the appointment of associate professors and assistant professors.
These one-year contract posts would be required to be renewed after six months, he said, adding that contract arrangements had to be made as the posts of medical specialists were lying vacant for long at the expense of poor patient's plight.
"Since the appointments through the Federal Public Service Commission is a time consuming process we were left with no choice but to go for contract appointments" he said.
Many FCPS doctors already serving at JPMC have appeared in the interviews, and if fulfilling the criterion would be inducted against the said posts, but would be required to revert to their actual assignments if "fresh appointments are confirmed through Public Service Commission or their duration of contract expires, he elaborated.
The interviews made in more than 15 different special ties against 52 vacant posts of assistant professors (BPS.18) and nine posts of associate professors (BPS.18) two posts of lecturers/senior registrars (BPS-17) were conducted by senior officials of the federal health ministry and a technical committees comprising senior medical professionals from relevant departments.
It may he pertinent to mention that interviews made on Wednesday were for nine posts of associate professors (Grade-19) and 52 for assistant professors (Grade-16) lying vacant in the three hospitals of Karachi for long besides, two posts of assistant professors in Gynae and Obstetrics and two other of Senior Registrars at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad.
Three of the vacant posts of associate professors at JPMC pertained to one each at Biochemistry, General Surgery and Medicine while 34 of assistant professors in 12 different departments.
Appointments of associate professors (four posts) in Paeds Medicine, Paeds Pathology and Anesthesia at National Institute of Child Health and one post in Cardiac Surgery at NICVD are also long awaited, and are attempted to be made through contract arrangement.