LAHORE: In what appears to be a very `immature` move, the health department has replaced the entire top management of the Integrated Reproductive Maternal and Neonatal and Child Health & Nutrition Programme (IRMNCH & NP) with the inexperienced officials.

A majority of the incumbent officials were working as additional medical superintendents and deputy medical superintendents and their posting might jeopardise the programme as Punjab had already failed to achieve the indicators set by the millennium development goals (MDGs) for 2015, an official, privy to the information, told Dawn.

He said Punjab was running the largest IRMNCH & NP due to its huge population and it was in a dire need of highly experienced and dedicated human resource to achieve the `missed` targets.

The overnight decision of transfer and posting of top management has shocked the public health experts who are of the view that the programme may suffer.

According to the notification, the health department transferred additional director general health of the IRMNCH & NP, Dr Pervalz Imtiaz,and posted him as AMS at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. He was replaced by additional director Directorate General of Health Services Dr Nusrat Jabeen.

IRMNCH & NP deputy director Dr Sajid Ali Tirmazi was transferred to the post of additional medical superintendent (AMS) Jinnah Hospital.

Dr Sajjad Sarwar, epidemiologist, was transferred and posted as AMS Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Dr Ameeruddin Chohan, deputy provincial coordinator IRMNCH & NP, was transferred to the post of additional principal medical officer at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore.

Deputy provincial coordinators of the programme, Dr Syed Khalid Farooq and Dr Sohail Arshad, were transferred to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital as AMSs.

Assistant additional director-I of IRMNCH Dr Saqib Mehmood was transferred to the post of deputy medical superintend (DMS) at the Teaching Hospital, Shahdara, while nutrition manager of the programme, Dr Fateh Sher Sipra, was transferred to the post of DMS Mayo Hospital.

Another experienced official Dr Mubashir Latif Ahmad, who was assistant director of the IRMNCH, was transferred to thepost of DMS Teaching Hospital, Shahdara.

The inexperienced officials who replaced those holding experience included Sheikhupura district officer health Dr Dildar Ahmad who was posted as additional director-I IRMNCH & NP.

Dr Mehmood Salahuddin, additional principal medical officer (APMO) at the Lahore General Hospital (LGH), was posted as additional director of the programme.

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital AMS Dr Sarfaraz Ahmad has been posted as additional director the IRMNCH and THQ Hospital Chichawatni MS Dr Mehmood Akhtar Malik has been posted as deputy provincial coordinator of the programme.

Mayo Hospital DMS Dr Rana Noorullah has been posted as nutrition manager of the IRMNCH & NP and Dr Farrukh Abdullah has been transferred from the Punjab Institute of Mental Health to post of assistant director of the programme.

Dr Ambreen Fatima, medical officer at Punjab Health Nursing School Sahiwal, has been posted as assistant director of IRMNCH &NP.

The health secretary was approached for his version but he did not respond.