KP govt decides to hire doctors on contract

PESHAWAR: In order to overcome the shortage of human resource in healthcare facilities in the far-flung districts, doctors and other health professionals would be hired on contractual basis.

The KP government also decided to devolve the posting/transfer powers of health staff, except the top management posts, to the department level to bring more efficiency in the management of the department.

These decisions were taken at a meeting with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair here.

The meeting was briefed about the total sanctioned strength of health professionals, vacant positions of medical staff, issues in the timely recruitment of staff, negative impacts of delay in recruitment process of health professionals on the overall services delivery and administrative issues at district level.

The meeting agreed in principle to the proposal of introducing locum system and recruitment of medical staff on ad hoc and contractual basis so that deficiency of doctors and other allied staff in public hospitals of the selected districts could be fulfilled as soon as possible.

It was decided to constitute committees at provincial and district level to this effect. The matter regarding increase in the upper age limit for the recruitment of medical officers, strengthening of management system of hospitals and empowering the district health officers and medical superintendents also came under discussion and concern quarters were directed to submit feasible proposals in this regard.