Govt posts a doctor for bureaucratic roles for years
SRINAGAR — Amid administration’s claims of bringing transparency in governance, a doctor in Jammu and Kashmir has been appointed to a bureaucratic position for years in a sheer violation of rules.
As per an order issued by Incharge Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education Department Manoj Kumar Diwedi, Dr Shafkat Khan has been appointed Additional Mission Director, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission J&K.
“Sanction is hereby accorded for Setting up of office of Mission Director Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission J&K as a part of Mission Director and Dr Shafqat Khan, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in Health & Medical Education Department is nominated as Additional Mission Director, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission J&K in addition to his duties as Sectoral Expert and Overall Incharge for strategizing and on boarding of Public Services through online platforms,” the order reads.
“The officer shall provide necessary support for seamless implementation of ABDM in UT of J&K in a time bound manner. He shall stand relieved from the role of Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Health & Medical Education Department with immediate effect,” the order reads.
This is in contrast to LG Manoj Sinha-led administration’s policy which claims transparency and end of nepotism in J&K. This comes at a time when the government on Friday ordered cancellation of attachment of the doctors and paramedical staff.
As per a circular issued by the Principal Secretary to the government, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi heads of department have been directed to submit compliance report by Ist August 2022.
“With a view to ensure better health care facilities to the general public and to restore the healthcare facilities in the rural areas, all the attachment of Doctors/Paramedics which have been made by all the Head of the Departments including Chief Medical Officers, ADMOS and Block Medical Officers or any other officer at their own level from time to time are hereby cancelled with immediate effect and they shall report back to their original place of postings,” reads the circular.
Bureaucrats and senior officials are astonished over the “favours” showered on a junior Medical Officer of the Health department.
“How can a Medical Officer be appointed to such officiating positions? When other doctors are doing their work in hospitals and health centres, why is this doctor favored when nepotism is claimed to have ended,” a senior official of the health department said.
Appointed in 1997 as Medical Officer in the health department, Dr Shafkat Khan has never been posted in health and hospitals for patient care.
“He has always been in officiating positions-from Health Officer in Srinagar Municipal Corporation to its Commissioner. For the last many years, he has been posted in Civil Secretariat without doing any work. During this year he was attached to Kathua, but the government transferred him again and he managed his posting as OSD,” sources said.
They said that LG should order an investigation of his services and order his posting back to his parent department for patient care.