KARACHI: Although, the professional doctors in Canada had protested against raise in their salaries in March this year, the doctors and other staff at Karachi’s National Institute of Cardio Vascular Diseases (NICVD), which is making tall claims of service delivery, is paying heavy salaries to its doctors and other staff having close links with hospital’s executive director, it was learnt.
The Sindh government had appointed brother of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Naveed Qamar’s brother Dr Nadeem Qamar as NICVD Executive Director. However, the Sindh cabinet in its last meetings this year had again appointed cardiologist namely Dr Nadeem Qamar as hospital’s executive director for another four years term.
The sources told Pakistan Today after that after the appointment of Dr Nadeem Qamar as hospital’s executive director, the nepotism reached the highest peak as doctors and other staff who had a close association with the executive director were appointed on hefty salaries, perks and privileges on many posts.
According to sources, there are a number of officers who are recruited from political favouritism. Their salaries and incentives are exceeded from the limit range, furthermore, the induction of employees are also exceeded by the required demand.
When Executive Director Prof.Nadeem Qamar took the charge of NICVD the strength of employees were 1200 approximately and currently, 7300 employees are working on luxurious salaries, allowances and hidden benefits. Newly appointed officers from grade 17 to 20 are more beneficial with this un lawful lucrative benefits, sources added.
According to sources, NICVD Human Resources (HR) Head Dawer Hussain is getting around Rs1.2 million to 2 million in salary whereas Procurement Head Khurram Hussain is also receiving almost the same amount of pay per month,
Head of Store Raja Uroof is said to be receiving around 0.8 million Khansa Zameer with Rs0.6 million to 1.2 million salary going to Strategic Manager Murtaza Khoro.
“The country is sharply divided between the haves and the have-nots. The woes and plight of the poor and the underprivileged are often ignored. A few days back, I visited the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi with my mother who had to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). She needed proper attention and round the clock monitoring, but, unfortunately, nothing was in order in the NICVD”, Sindh government’s Energy Department Deputy Director told Pakistan Today.
NICVD Executive Director Dr Nadeem Qamar told Pakistan Today that NICVD is an autonomous institution under a governing body. Our status is similar to SIUT and our salary structure is based on SIUT model and is approved by our governing body, he said, adding that NICVD today is not one hospital but is 10 state of the art hospitals serving the entire province of Sindh free of cost.
“No NICVD consultant is allowed to practice outside NICVD. NICVD is the world’s best cardiac institute with the largest programme for primary angioplasty. We are running the biggest programme for ICD/ CRT (life-saving devices) implantation,” he defended the dispensation salaries.
