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Express Tribune
8 hours ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
Doctors face forged documents inquiry
At least five senior doctors are suspected of having submitted fake documents in their bid to be appointed as medical superintendents (MS) of teaching hospitals. According to official sources, the doctors had allegedly submitted forged experience certificates and falsely claimed to possess degrees in hospital management that were an essential qualification for appointment as MS under revised rules introduced by the Punjab government to improve healthcare administration. The provincial government has launched an inquiry under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act. Member of Board of Revenue Rashid Kamalur Rehman has been appointed as the inquiry officer. Under the act, the investigation must be concluded within 60 days. Sources in the health department said Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Hospital MS Dr Nasir Chauhan, Dr Hasnain Raza and Dr Lubna Azam of Nishtar Hospital, Dr Samira Hassan of Quaid-e-Azam Medical College and Dr Shahroz Hassan of Lady Willingdon Hospital have been served notices to submit written replies within seven days regarding allegations of submitting fake certificates for the selection. A senior official said the certificate submitted by the senior doctors pertained to experience in hospital management, administration and qualifications. The MS are responsible for hospital operations, patient care quality, staff performance and resource management. Lacunas in their appointments compromises the entire healthcare system. The official said the provincial health authorities would adopt a zero-tolerance policy if any doctor would be found guilty in the inquiry. He said the higher authorities wanted action over the matter. "If found guilty, the doctors may face dismissal from service, disqualification for government posts, and potential criminal charges related to forgery and fraud," the official added.
Express Tribune
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Quality assurance panels to monitor projects
WASA workers pump out rainwater accumulated at Committee Chowk in Rawalpindi. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE The Punjab Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department has established Quality Assurance Committees in all key subordinate agencies and development authorities across the province. Official sources confirmed that these committees will operate within Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASAs), Parks and Horticulture Authorities, and Development Authorities. Their primary mandate is to monitor project execution, verify adherence to technical standards, and provide consistent feedback to improve ongoing and future development schemes. Each committee will include departmental engineers, quality control officers, and administrative staff to ensure a comprehensive review of project implementation. Reports from these committees will be regularly submitted to the Housing Department's central monitoring cell for oversight and any required corrective actions. This quality control initiative follows the earlier creation of a high-level Search Committee tasked with ensuring merit-based recruitment of top positions, such as Directors General, Managing Directors, and Chief Engineers. Chaired by Housing Minister Bilal Yasin, the committee evaluates service records and seniority to ensure that appointments reflect capability and integrity. Additionally, the department has established an Internal Accountability Board, operating under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act. This board will investigate complaints of corruption and misconduct within the department and its subsidiaries, enforces internal discipline, audits compliance, and advises on policy reforms. Commenting on the department's multi-layered reforms, Housing Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal said: "The Quality Assurance Committees are another critical step toward institutionalising excellence in public service. When combined with the Search Committee and Internal Accountability Board, we are creating a governance model rooted in merit, integrity, and public trust." He stressed the importance of responsible use of public funds, noting that billions of rupees are invested annually in housing and sanitation projects.
Express Tribune
19-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Tax shortfall prompts excise to step up recovery
At high tax rates, profit margins for sellers decrease, leaving them with options to pass on the burden to consumers, compromise on the quality of products, evade taxes or find cheaper illicit goods. photo: file The Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has intensified its commercial and domestic property tax recovery campaign in the Rawalpindi zone following a 55 per cent shortfall in property, professional, and luxury tax collections. In a move to accelerate collections, the secretary of excise and taxation has imposed an immediate ban on transfers and leave for excise inspectors and field staff until June 30. Property tax offices will also remain open on weekends throughout the month of June. The director general of excise and taxation has issued strict directives to ensure all tax targets are met by the end of June. Property tax collections in Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, and Jhelum districts are reportedly 5054 per cent below targets, while the newly designated tourist district of Murree, known as Malika Kohsar, has recorded a shortfall of up to 60 per cent. In response, the department has launched a large-scale operation, sealing 126 defaulting property units and recovering a total of Rs2.89 million in outstanding taxes. Seven excise and taxation officers in the Rawalpindi Zone have been served show-cause notices under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act for failing to meet recovery targets and may face dismissal.
Express Tribune
19-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Nishtar officials to face action over HIV case
A joint inquiry committee has submitted its findings to the chief minister of Punjab following an investigation into the infection of 31 dialysis patients with HIV at Nishtar Hospital. The inquiry has recommended disciplinary action against several officials, including the removal of Vice Chancellor of Nishtar Medical University, Dr Mehnaz Khakwani, for administrative negligence. The recommendations, made under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEDA) Act, follow directives from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The case came to light in October 2024 when over 20 dialysis patients were initially found to be HIV positive. That number later rose to 31 over four months after further screenings. Following the outbreak, the provincial government suspended key medical staff including Dr Ghulam Abbas, former Head of Nephrology; Dr Muhammad Kazim, former Medical Superintendent (MS) of Nishtar Hospital; and faculty members Dr Poonam Khalid and Dr Maleeha Johar. Head Nurse Naheed Parveen and Dr Alamgir Malik were also suspended, while a formal PEDA inquiry was initiated in December 2024. As per the inquiry report, Vice Chancellor Dr Khakwani failed to implement and monitor standard operating procedures (SOPs) across the hospital, and did not take timely action after the incident surfaced. As a result, the committee has recommended her removal and one-year suspension from public service. Former Head of Nephrology Dr Ghulam Abbas has been accused of withholding information about HIV-positive cases and failing to issue necessary written directives. The committee has recommended his compulsory retirement. Dr Poonam Khalid, Associate Professor of Nephrology, is alleged to have been frequently absent and negligent in ward management. A three-year demotion and a fine equal to one month's basic salary have been recommended in her case. The committee found that Dr Muhammad Kazim, the former MS, failed to promptly address the outbreak and was appointed without proper process as an 18-grade officer in a 20-grade position. The committee has recommended censure and withholding of his annual increment for one year. Meanwhile, Dr. Maleeha Johar, Dr. Alamgir Malik, and Head Nurse Naheed Parveen were acquitted of charges. Separately, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Multan has raised concerns about the integrity of the inquiry. In an emergency meeting chaired by Dr Masoodur Rauf Haraj, the PMA alleged that the inquiry failed to determine how the virus was transmitted and focused instead on penalizing Nishtar Medical University's first female Vice Chancellor. The PMA claimed that the inquiry report may have been influenced by a senior university officer with alleged aspirations to become the next vice chancellor. According to the association, this officer reportedly had connections with the inquiry convener and predicted the report's contents in advance. The PMA also pointed out that no genetic sequencing has been conducted to confirm whether HIV transmission occurred through dialysis procedures, and questioned the absence of action against unauthorised medical practitioners.
