2,200 doctors to be recruited through SPSC

KARACHI:Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah and Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho co-chaired a high-level meeting of Sindh Health Department here on Monday.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary Finance Syed Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Health Kazim Jatoi and Vice Chancellor Dow University of Health and Science Prof Dr Muhammad Saeed Qureshi and others officers have attended the meeting.

The meeting discussed various issues of health department including release of salaries of newly appointed medical officers, staff nurses, lab technologist and lab technicians, release of funds in favor of Child Life Foundation, release of funds for Trauma Centre, release of Funds of Medical Universities, recruitment of new doctors and expansion of HDUs and ICUs of the province.

The Chief Secretary Sindh while speaking during the meeting said that the Sindh Government has given priority to the health sector in the 2020-21 budget. He directed the Secretary Finance to release withheld funds to the medical universities of Sindh and the Thalassemia centers. The meeting also decided to release salaries to medical officers, staff nurses, lab technologist and lab technicians who were appointed for 89 days in wake of the Covid-19.

The Chief Secretary also directed the secretary health to move a summary to Sindh Public Service Commission for the recruitment of more 2,200 doctors. The Chief Secretary Sindh also directed Health Secretary to write the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to increase the number of technician seats in the medical universities and colleges of the province.

Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah said that ventilator management training will be given to the doctors and paramedics and for this he directed health department to move a proposal in this regard.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho said that the number of ICUs and HDUs in various hospitals are being increased, 147 ICUs and 834 HDUs are being added in different Hospitals including Civil Hospital, Services Hospital, Lyari Hospital, Gulistan-e-Jauhar Hospital, and Nipa Hospital. She further added that than 400 doctors are currently providing telemedicine services, “An MoU has been signed to hire another 250 doctors for Telemedicine” she added.

Dr Azra Pechuho informed that there are 452 Rapid Response Teams consisting 1382 doctors and paramedics working in field for Corona Virus. The Chief secretary also directed the secretary health to present plan for expansion of existing HDUs and ICUs in different hospitals.