LHC offers healthcare for medical officers

LHC sets termination of medical officers, orders them to join duties within ten days

Lahore High Court (LHC) Tuesday set aside termination orders of medical officers for non-submission of affidavits and ordered them to join their duties within ten days.

The court also ordered medical officers to submit affidavit but linked it with final orders in the matter.

Justice Muhammad Khalid Mehmood Khan passed the orders on a petition filed by newly appointed 175 medical officers challenging orders of the Health Department for submission of affidavits.

The court also vacated restraining order earlier granted against the termination of petitioners in the matter and adjourned the matter till April 17.

As proceedings started, the petitioner’s counsel Noshab A Khan submitted that the petitioners were given preference in selection process on the ground that they were availing post graduation training.

However, the provincial health authorities demanded of the petitioners and others to submit affidavits that they would not avail post graduation training during three-year probation period, the counsel added. He submitted the government had already invested billions of rupees on training of these post graduation trainees which would be wasted if they were stopped from continuing their training. He said that the post graduate training could be completed in teaching hospitals which were located in big cities. He submitted that the petitioners were ready to serve in rural healthcare facilities after completion of their training. He also pointed out that many petitioners had been terminated for non-submission of the affidavits.

However, the respondent Health Department submitted that the medical officers were required to serve three years in facilities situated in rural areas, as per health policy. He pleaded the court to dismiss the petition.

The court after hearing the arguments set aside notification for termination of medical officers and ordered them to join duties within ten days.