PESHAWAR(National Times)- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Anti-Corruption Establishment has started probe into alleged irregularities in appointments of managers on higher salaries in Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) and sought record about all recruitments and candidates, who applied for those positions.
The anti-corruption body in the province has sent a letter to the HMC director, asking him to furnish record regarding the appointments on the posts of director finance, supply chain and procurement managers and internal chief auditor within three days in order to proceed with the probe being conducted upon complaints lodged with the directorate of anti-corruption establishment.
The ACE’s letter pointed out that it required complete record regarding the filling up of the positions at the medical teaching institution (MTI) HMC on urgent basis.
The information sought from the hospital director (HD) included the process of selection of the officers along with dates and provision of copies of the advertisements floated in newspapers to invite applicants for the posts, according to the letter, available with Dawn.
Additionally, ACE sought screening lists for the positions in question and other vacancies along with their categorisation and details about the applicants, who had submitted applications for those posts.
The details wanted by ACE also included complete information about the candidates, who were shortlisted, and those, who remained successful and were ultimately offered the jobs. In order to check the educational qualification of the appointed candidates, it requested the director that attested copies of educational and experience documents of the selected officers should be provided to it immediately.
Furthermore, the letter said that the establishment needed the names and designations of the members of selection committee that approved the appointments.
The minutes of departmental selection committee (DSC)’s meetings regarding the appointments had also been sought along with list of candidates, who were called for interview.
The one-page letter addressed to HD also said that ACE required the merit lists regarding all appointments in accordance with Esta Code and official orders and notifications, terms and conditions and any other relevant record.
The director has been asked that directions might be issued to relevant officials for provision of requisite record in terms of Rule 3(3) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Anti-Corruption Rules, 1999, to enable ACE to finalise the proceedings without further delay.
On April 29, Dr Mohammad Mushtaq, the medical director (MD) of HMC, resigned allegedly after refusing to agree to a slew of new appointments. He was replaced by Prof Khalid Khan, a senior pathologist of the same hospital.
Dr Mohammad Mushtaq, the chairman of dentistry and maxillofacial department and allied surgical department at Khyber Girls Medical College (KGMC) and HMC, had been appointed medical director in January but sources said he was opposed to the appointments and was forced to resign.
Sources in ACE said that they had also started series of investigations into alleged illegal appointments in other MTIs. “The MTIs, being run by Board of Governors, take independent decisions free of health department and have come under scathing criticism from association of doctors over violation of merit in appointments to positions against higher salaries,” they said.
They said that they had been receiving plethora of complaints backed by documentary evidence due to which probes against MTIs had been started.
