The administration of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) has made a nursing attendant in-charge of Main Kitchen on the post of dietician while several other non-technical people are working on the technical posts in institution.
An official of JPMC told PPI that the hospital administration has made a non-qualified employee as in-charge of Main Kitchen on the post dietician. He said although qualified dieticians are available in the hospital to run its kitchen in a better way but the management has appointed a nursing attendant as the head of hospital kitchen.
He said main responsibilities of a dietician in public sector hospital are to make diet plan for malnutrition-hit children, diabetic patients and other patients suffering from various diseases but unfortunately a non-qualified person has been made in-charge of kitchen. Similarly, a leaser technician is working as the head of Operation Theater at Ophthalmology Department while a dresser of Ward-16 is working as the Personal Assistant (PA) of the head of department.
He said that interestingly, a sweeper of Neurosurgery Department is working as an OT attendant in Neuro Operation Theater. He said hospital administration is openly violating the rule of merit and appointing favorite persons on key post despite the fact that qualified people are present.
He said that the trend of favoritism is on the rise in the healthcare as incumbent administration has promoted seven senior medical officers of Grade- 17 to Grade-18 as deputy directors without getting approval from authorities concerned of health department of Sindh.
JPMC Focal Person Dr Jawaid Akhtar Jamali, while talking to PPI, said due to shortage of qualified people, non-qualified employees are posted on some technical posts.
He said about 900 posts are lying vacant including professors, doctors, paramedical staff, nurses, pharmacists, nursing attendants, sweepers and other administrative staff, which has badly affected the smooth functioning of this major government-run healthcare facility.
He said the management is facing difficulties to run hospital due to the vacant posts. He informed administration has assigned different responsibilities to some educated sweepers or nursing attendants on purely temporary basis.