The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced it will hire medical officers on a fixed salary to help tackle the ongoing shortage of doctors in hospitals across four districts, including Mardan.
To make sure the recruitment process stays fair and open, a special committee has been set up in each district.
This committee, led by the Special Secretary of Health and including the Additional Secretary of Health, Director HRM, and Section Officer E-2, will handle written complaints related to the recruitment in Mardan, Upper Dir, Batkhela, and Haripur.
Complaints must include proper evidence and be submitted by August 10. Any complaints received after that date won’t be considered.
The Health Department has said that these steps are being taken to ensure a transparent hiring process and rebuild trust among applicants.
The province has been struggling with a lack of doctors for some time. Earlier this year, the Health Department began hiring medical officers and specialists on a contract basis to strengthen services at district hospitals.
In the first round of this effort, 115 medical officers and 51 consultants are being placed in various hospitals to help launch specialist units at district headquarters hospitals.
The Health Advisor, who approved this initiative, said it would not only provide jobs for doctors but also make it easier for people to get treatment closer to home.
Priority will be given to applicants from the same areas, and appointments will be tied to specific hospitals to avoid transfers.
In January, the provincial government also decided to fill 248 long-standing vacancies in management roles within the Health Department.
At the same time, the process to recruit 600 specialist doctors through the Public Service Commission is being sped up to deal with the serious shortage of medical specialists at the district level.
The Provincial Doctors Association has supported the government’s move, pointing out that these positions had remained empty for years.
After the association’s appeal, the Health Advisor also approved a five-year increase in the upper age limit for applicants, from 32 to 37 years, so more doctors can apply.
He also stressed that the hiring of 600 specialist doctors through the Public Service Commission should be completed quickly to get them posted where they’re needed most.