PESHAWAR: In a move that has raised eyebrows, the health department has sought the repatriation a BPS-20 doctor from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation citing a shortage of management cadre doctors amid denial of postings to 15 such medics promoted almost four months ago.

The promotion of these management cadre doctors from BPS-19 to BPS-20 on the recommendation of the provincial selection board was notified onSept 23, but they continue to work in their previous grades.

Instead of assigning BPS-20 positions to promoted medics, the health department has formally asked the board of governorsof theKhyberPakhtunkhwa Health Foundation to repatriate its managing director, Dr Adnan Taj, due to shortage of senior management cadre doctors, sources told Dawn.

A letter issued by the health secretariat said that Dr Adnan was a senior most and competent officer of the department and since so his services were required, the matter should be placed before the foundation`s board ofgovernors.

Official sources told Dawn that the proposal was forwarded by the director-general (health services) in December though promotion of 15 man-agement cadre doctors was notified months ago.

They said the health secretariat made a few changes to the proposalbut the establishment department returned it twice.

The sources said junior doctors had been holding key positions, including district health officers, directors and others, for several years.

They said some doctors from the general cadre were required to examine patients in hospitals but were occupying management positions.

A senior doctor, who has completed his tenure as the director of a medical teaching institution, is also among promoted doctors but he is reportedly not even getting the salary of BPS19.

The same doctor, who hasvast administrative experience, is qualified from abroad.

Officials said the majority of the doctors working in BPS-19 posts regularly received salary, but a few who awaited postings were unpaid.

They said the positions were vacant as the doctors were promoted against the vacant BPS20 positions and if positions were not available, then they would not have been promoted.

The officials said those promoted doctors regularly visited the healthsecretariatto secure early postings, but to no avail, and some of them felt frustrated as they neared retirement.

They said BPS-20 was the highest grade in the health department at the management level and all those promoted were requesting post-ings to vacant positions.

The officials said except in a few districts, the positions of district health officers were held by general cadre doctors with no management experience.

When contacted, health secretary Shahidullah Khan said a summary for the postings of promoted doctors had been sent to the chief secretary`s office whose response was awaited. He said the health department wanted to assign positions to those doctors to utilise their experience to improve patient care.

Adviser to the chief minister on health Ihtesham Ali said no one would be deprived of their due posting.

`We need management cadre doctors to improve healthcare,` he said.