Peshawar – A high-level meeting of the Health Department was held under the chairmanship of the Advisor to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Health, Ihtisham Ali. The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Health Ghafoor Shah, Special Secretary Health Budget and Accounts Habibullah, Additional Secretary Fayaz Sherpao, Director General Health Services Dr. Saleem, DG PHSA Dr. Abdul Waheed, Chief HSRU Dr Khalil Iftikhar, Chief Planning Officer Qaiser Alam, ADG Public Health Dr Shahid Younis, Deputy Director IT Zakirullah, Deputy Chief HSRU Dr Majid, and other relevant officials.
During the meeting on departmental reforms, Ihtisham Ali assessed progress on a 30-point agenda with the concerned officials. He issued instructions for implementing these reforms and evaluated the current progress. It was reported to the advisor that the IT cell had mostly completed training of DHO and MS staff across districts as part of the health sector’s digitization process. Measures have also been taken to enhance HRMIS, improve the availability of IT equipment, and develop staff capabilities.
The Health Advisor directed that the appointments and postings of DHOs and MS are now the responsibility of the Health Department’s Placement Committee, which will appoint individuals from a pre-approved panel. He stressed, “From now on, no one should bring recommendations to me.”
Ihtisham Ali was informed that, to decentralize authority, RDGs have been empowered to grant essential leave permissions. He also instructed that all DHOs and MS should immediately install face recognition devices to ensure biometric attendance of medical staff. Furthermore, all MS are directed to activate the queue management system.
He emphasised that DHOs should take immediate action against individuals identified by M&E reports. Digital issuance of orders has been implemented in all health directorates, and starting today, attachments and additional charges in the Health Secretariat and directorates will be abolished. Officials holding dual charges in ADP schemes and projects will be immediately de-notified. To facilitate staff, the seniority list will be promptly published on the Health Department’s website. The Health Advisor was informed that over 1,600 vehicles have been registered in HRMIS.
Correspondence with the Excise Department will also be initiated to prevent the unauthorised use of Health Department vehicles. The Advisor concluded by stating, “Anyone wishing to work in their area of specialty in health should come directly to me; any future attempts to influence transfers or postings will not be tolerated.”
