Punjab Health Secretary Jehanzaib Khan has delegated several departmental powers to different additional secretaries to “dispose of the official business” and has issued a notification in this regard, Pakistan Today has learnt. Senior officials in the Health Department, seeking anonymity said that under the former Health Secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad, work in the Health Department had become very centralized, as all matters from issuing leaves to purchase and appointments were being authorised by the secretary himself. This had led to a lot of resentment in even senior health department officials, who felt disempowered and also affected the overall performance of the department.
“Since all tasks were done at the top level, the lower staff including even additional secretaries felt powerless, resulting in a lack of interest in work. The current delegation of different functions to additional secretaries will prove helpful in many respects and expedite the business to cite just one,” a senior official said. Sources in the health department further revealed that the health secretary has kept policy matters to himself, while delegating various powers to different additional secretaries. They said the decision has been taken to expedite work in the health department and empower the department’s human resource.
Health secretary constitutes medical board for Jameel Fakhri: On the directives of Punjab Health Secretary Jehanzeb Khan, Mayo Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Zahid Pervez has constituted a medical board for the treatment of famous film and TV artist Jameel Fakhri. Pervez said that a five-member medical board comprising Professor of Medicine Dr Irshad Hussain, Professor of Anesthesia Dr Khawar Ali, Professor of Medicine Dr Sajid Obaidullah, Associate Professor of Neurology Dr Javed Athar and Mayo Hospital Medical Specialist Dr Munir Iqbal would deal with the case.