By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: Instead of the abolition of the Directorate General of Health Service, Punjab, it is the need of the hour to establish more similar institutions.
The problems being faced by doctors and paramedical staff should be solved at their doorsteps. Those at the helm of the affairs should avoid making decisions to abolish health care institutions; doctors will be forced to take direct action.
These views were expressed by representatives of different organizations of medical professionals like Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), General Cadre Doctors Association (GCDA), Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians’, Pakistan Society of Family Physicians, Young Doctors’ Association and All Pakistan Clerk Association (APCA) of DG Health office Punjab, addressing a meeting of Counsel for Professional Integrity, held at PMA House Lahore.
PMA Central President Dr Izhar Ch and Punjab President Dr Kamran Saeed said that the 172-year-old institution of the DG Health office must be kept intact as it is not only the need of the doctors but also in the larger interest of the patients. If the office of Director General Health Service was abolished all health indicators will be adversely affected and standard of health care will greatly fall. Bureaucracy has been attempting for the last several decades to hand over the health department to the private sector, which is not only against the interests of the doctors but also enmity with the people of the province. So, bureaucracy should avoid taking such steps.
General Cadre Doctors’ Association President Dr Masood Sheikh said in his address that the process of decentralisation will be badly affected in case of the abolition of the DG Health office. He further said that the only seats in grade 21 of DG Health Punjab and many seats of grade 20 will come to an end. Dr Masood further said that thousands of seats of general cadre doctors have already been abolished, as a result of which the scope of new recruitments has also come to an end and this decision has also caused end of the scope of promotions.
Dr Masood Sheikh was of the view that in the first stage, there is an apprehension that the South Punjab DG Health office will also be abolished after the dismantling of the Lahore DG office. After this, the shape of District Health Authorities is likely to be changed.
Pakistan Islamic Medical Association President Dr Muhammad Humayun said that dismantling of such institutions can endanger the entire health system, and doing so is against the interests of medical professionals as well as the people of the province. He asserted that taking any such decision, consultations of all stakeholders are essential, without which no decision would be acceptable to the doctors’ community.
The representatives of the Family Physicians’ Organisation, Dr Rana Manzoor, Dr Tariq Aziz and Dr Asim Shafique were of the view that the Health Care Commission is working against its mandate and instead of ending quackism, it is engaged in harassing the doctors. All the organisations of doctors unanimously demanded 10 years audit of the Health Care Commission and impeachment of the black sheep in the commission. They further demanded the publication of the audit report of the Health Care Commission for the information of the people.
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