72 Doctors Immediately Dismissed from Service Under Balochistan BEDA Act

QUETTA (Daily Qudrat Quetta): The Health Department, Government of Balochistan, citing prolonged absence from duty as the justification, has immediately dismissed a total of 72 doctors, including Grade 17 Medical Officers and Grade 18 Senior Medical Officers. A formal notification has been issued by the Health Department in this regard, under which, after prior approval of the competent authority, the major penalty of dismissal has been imposed under Section 4(b)(viii) of the Balochistan Employees Efficiency and Discipline (BEDA) Act 2011.

According to the notification, the dismissed medical officers include local and domiciled doctors of various districts of the province, including Quetta, Pishin, Kachhi, Bolan, Khuzdar, Sibi, Turbat, Mastung, Kalat, Gwadar, Qila Abdullah, Loralai, Musakhel, Dera Bugti, Awaran, Jaffarabad, Kohlu, Lasbela, Kech, Ziarat, Panjgur and Nushki.

This decision, issued under the signature of Balochistan Health Secretary Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, has been declared immediately effective.

On the other hand, Provincial Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar, defending the government action, said that on the instructions of Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti, the Health Department’s system is being improved and reforms are being brought in the department under the Chief Minister’s leadership. He said the government will under no circumstances tolerate absenteeism and negligence of duty by medical staff. The Provincial Health Minister said that we had said from day one that health facilities will be taken to the people’s doorstep; all medical staff should listen that any shortcoming in serving the people will not be tolerated under any circumstances. He made clear that actions against those who continue negligence and a frivolous attitude will continue in the future as well.

Meanwhile, public and medical circles take the position that the provincial government and Health Department have completely failed to provide medicines, infrastructure, machinery and a safe environment in hospitals of remote districts, while the entire burden of hospitals’ desolation and administrative mismanagement is being placed on doctors to hide their own incompetence through one-sided dismissals, which risks a severe shortage of medical staff in the province’s rural areas and further worsening of the health crisis.