Chief Secretary visits Ghizer, suspends two absent doctors
Our Correspondent
Gilgit, October 7: GB Chief Secretary, Sajjad Saleem Hotiana paid a surprise visit to the DHQ Hospital in Gahkuch, the district headquarters of Ghizer. He suspended two doctors, a child specialist and a pathologist, who had not turned up for duty.
Late the Chief Secretary held meetings with the Peace Committee, comprising of representatives of different communities and the district’s intelligentsia. He praised the Peace Committee for playing a positive role in keeping a congenial environment in the region.
The local leaders apprised him of the district’s issues, including recent information circulated in regional press about potential security threats from terrorists.
The Chief Secretary said that the local people will have to be vigilant to combat the menace of terrorism. He said that the government has taken measures to ensure safety of the roads and borders of Ghizer district.
He was also briefed by various government departments about their progress and projects.
Surprise visit to develop sustainable health system could be possible in country like Pakistan. Mr.Hotiana must have understood the strength ,weaknesses , threat and potentials of GB health department. To my understanding this is a knee-jerk response at spinal level to gain popularity with in the masses and we have witnessed so many surprised visits , inquiries and other artificial measures but never given priority to education and health care system for past 63 years.
Dr.A.Rehman Alvi
* knee jerk
There is no worse law and order situation in Ghizer at all If chief secretary know that. Chief secretary should held meetings with Aman comities in Gilgit or Diamer districts. Such an aimless meeting only may have DC AC`s and police officer engaged, putting the people waiting for them in office hours and wasting one more day of public. Those Non local Secretaries and chief secretaries are posted in G.B who are useless anywhere else in the country.
We expect with chief secretary to ensure mentoring of his officials to stream line the systems in all departments.
It is amazing and alarming to hearing about the sale of jobs at certain amount. Is this reality if yes who is responsible to stop and discourage such unethical things which become the causes of corruption and frustration. The responsible personnels should take serious notice on such things other wise the forth coming generation would never spare to us. All the secretaries are also expected to streamline their systems and ensure the accountability of their staff and departments.
Dr. Rehman Elvi sab ! you have well ellaborated about the situation of health department. I would request all of you Sr. doctors like Prof. salman, Surgeon AU baig, Dr. Gari Khan, Dr. Liaqat, Dr.Hussain ali ,Dr.Gul and others to form a plateform at GB level and facilitate to Government in developing long term strategic plan. Apart from this you can influence the systems as well by various interventions like health seminars,free camps, visiting Government hospitals for social auditing. Once i got chance to conduct social survey in a govt. Dispensary in a village of above 2000 house holds. The findings were alarming and amazing.
1. No paper was available for prescription. the staff had to request the near by school for papers to issue prescription.
2. Two grade 18 Doctors were shivering with cold as there was not any proper heating arrangement. I was told that only 5 thousand budget is allocated for 18n staff that is also iven in next june.
3. No medicine was available according to the house hold size of the village.
When I contacted with relevant personnels only DHO was traced. He assured me to visit the site and provide medicine.
If this is the situation of health which is the prime and basic physiological need of human being what would be the conditions of other departments.
Keeping in view the above given scenario you are
requested to mobilize to GB senior Doctors to put
their in put to improve the existing infrastructure or initiate a programme to strengthen the health systems in Govt and private side.