PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has asked principals of all private medical colleges to provide house job to their graduates in their respective teaching hospitals to reduce burden on government hospitals.

Besides, it has also increased the monthly stipend of trainee medical officers from Rs24,000 to Rs49,124 and that of house officers from Rs24,000 to Rs27,291 with effect from December 2014. The development comes on the directives of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, says a handout issued here. According to the handout, a delegation of doctors met the chief minister and apprised of various demands.

The chief minister issued directives to the relevant quarters to initiate action on the demands.

`On the demand of amendments of servicerules of teaching cadre in light of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council rules, the health department placed the demand before the SSRC, which is under process and will be finalised soon.

`Moreover, service rules of the teaching cadre were processed and approved by the SSRC to bring the same on a par with the PMDC rules.

On the demand of filling temporary vacant posts on contractual basis, the health department will submit the requisition to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission to avoid any deficiency of staff.

Recently, the department placed requisition of 395 medical officers (BPS-17) and 393 district specialists (BPS-18). Contractual appointments will be made only on temporary vacant posts.

The department also decided that from now onwards, the employees would be allowed for automatic upper age relaxation on the analogy of the civil servants.

Moreover, the health department has also placed the cases of promotion to (BPS-21) on meritorious basis before the provincial selection board.

It also said it was consulting stakeholdersregarding the division of the province into four zones in order to improve the health care services. A circular has also been issued regarding entitlement of free health services to the TMOs and house officers.

Regarding increase in the number of house officers paid seats equal to the number of graduates, it decided that the number of house officers will be equal to the number of graduates in the medical institutions according to the PMDC rules.

The department said the MCPS and diploma in minor specialties and all the mandatory CPSP training course and workshops would be financed by the government for six months with effect from January 2015.

Moreover, human resource departments have been established at all districts and provincial hospitals for management of the overall cadre structure and good governance in the health care system.

The health department also proposed amendment to the Khyber Pakhtunl(hwa (Appointments, Deputation, Posting and Transfers of Teachers, Lecturers, Instructors and Doctors) Regulatory Act 2011.