Promote us, we are about to die now!

• Senior doctors await promotion to BS-20, junior ones granted higher ranks after PSB meeting

LARKANA

PPI

Some deserving doctors have been deprived of recent promotions of health department doctors from BS-19 to 20 for just want of annual confidential reports (ACRs). The promotions were made through Provincial Selection Board (PSB) meeting.

Later, deprived doctors submitted their ACRs but they were denied promotions. They have been told that their promotions cannot be made at this stage owing to “unknown reasons”.

The doctors were directed to submit their ACRs in November 2012 but they didn’t considered that their promotions will never be made until their retirement but suddenly apex court and media reports came to their rescue due to which Departmental Promotion Committee & PSB meetings were held and most of them got their due right but few of them remained very lazy and failed to supply ACRs to their department owing to above reason.

But to their misfortune or fortune, PSB meeting was convened on June 03 which approved the promotions of more than 44 general cadre medical officers from BS-19 to 20. These promotions should have been done according to the seniority list issued on May 13, 2013 (It may be noted most of the doctors had already retired or expired while waiting for their legal right) in which few senior doctors were bypassed and five junior doctors of Karachi were promoted who are alleged to be enjoying political influence just for non-submission of ACR objection.

When the affected doctors submitted their ACRs, they were denied their right to promotions as saying that promotions have already been approved and they cannot be accommodated now whereas few of them are to retire before the end of this year.

One of the affected doctors, Srichand, who joined service on February 1, 1983 in BS-17 has made a representation to the Sindh Chief secretary demanding justice. He was promoted to BS-18 on May 25, 1992 and in BS-19 on May 26, 1996 and since then he is running from pillar to post for his due right.

His juniors Dr Kahlilullah Shaikh and Dr Dost Muhammad Shaikh have been promoted to BS-20 but his case was thrown out for want of ACRs which now have been submitted by him.

Another doctor, (Capt) Munir Ahmed Jokhio has been promoted in the same PSB meeting of June 2014 and his promotion was overdue. He has been denied retrospective benefits just for non-submission of ACRs which indeed was unjust and against the standing service rules, experts told media.

Dr Srichand said, “If he is denied his right to promotion, then he will be having no other option but to knock the doors of the court to seek justice before retirement.”