HYDERABAD: The Sindh government has finally de-notified a BS-20 provincial health officer who was posted in the Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) Hyderabad, bur he is still holding the same position with multiple charges.

`On the recommendations of the Provincial Selection Board-I and with the approval of the Sindh chief minister, the promotion of Mr Abdul Sattar Jatoi as director (admin, accounts & development) BS-20 health department is hereby withdrawn, said a May 16 notification issued by the Services, General Administration and Coordination Department (SGA&CD) in the light of Service Tribunal`s Sept 22, 2020 and Supreme Court`s Jan 10, 2022 verdict.

The officer told Dawn on Wednesday that he was `now holding the post of director (admin, accounts & development) in BS-19 which was created in 2010`.

According to his own admission, he was holding that senior post being a junior officer on own pay scale (OPS) basis again in violation of the Supreme Court`s repeated verdicts. `He can`t attend office now after his de-notification, but he is very much doing all works,` said a LUH official.

After de-notification, he was not posted in BS-19 at the LUH yet he continued to hold iton his own. He was running the same office of BS-20 with three positions without any demur from the health department.

A provisional promotion list of 10 health officers of the planning wing was drafted by the health department in which post of `additional director (development)/district officer (admin, accounts & development) BS-19` was mentioned that included his name for promotion. But Sindh Health Secretary Zulfikar Shah in a message said that the `list has been recalled for re-examination` Another favour? The provincial government in 2020 had passed `The Sindh Teaching Hospitals (Establishment of Management Board) Act 2020`, creating separate posts of `director finance` and `director administration` for teaching hospitals.

The LUH is a teaching hospital. Under the act, now the Sindh CM shall appoint a candidate as director Knance having such qualification and experience from `a panel of three candidates recommended by the board` The CM shall also appoint an experienced `senior cadre officer` not below the rank of BS-19 as director administration.

The Sindh High Court on Sept 21, 2021, ordered that the post of `director finance` shall be filled in tertiary hospitals withinthree months after then health secretary Kazim Jatoi made a statement. It was not done in hospitals, including the LUH, yet.

Favouritism in Jatoi`s case came to the fore when his colleague, four-step senior to him, moved the Sindh Services Tribunal and he has since retired. Jatoi managed promotion of his choice. He got the clinical side post of LUH`s additional medical superintendent (MS) by having it re-designated as director (admin, accounts & dev) in BS-20.

After his demotion, this post is supposed to be revived for the LUH because the services tribunal had held such re-designation in violation of the SC`s verdict and done as per choice of Jatoi.

First the Sindh Services Tribunal and then the Supreme Court exposed anomalies in his promotion and creation of the said post to favour him. The tribunal, moved by his colleague Abbas Khoso (four step senior to him), struck down the Jatoi`s promotion, forcing him to appeal before the SC which rejected it on Jan 10,2022.

The tribunal termed it a `unique case of favouritism and nepotism`. Tribunal held redesignating of the clinical post of additional MS and his appointment as director (admin, accounts & dev) as illegal and in violation of the SC judgement.

Later, the apex court dismissed his appeal, observing that a person-specific post was created by the government. `Not one, but Jatoigot two posts of LUH`s additional MS abolished to get promotion in BS-19 and BS-20, said a health official.

Inquiry against officer An inquiry by the health department into `fake letter` for release of Rs350m has also been finalised by the inquiry committee against this officer and then LUH MS Dr Siddique Pahore.

An Oct 28, 2021, letter of the health department, allowing permission to the LUH MS to meet additional expenditures on account of day to day drugs and medicines (local purchase) amounting to Rs350m out of the budget speciñed for bulk purchases of drugs and medicines, was intercepted by the district accounts office (DAO) Hyderabad.

The DAO sent it to the health department where it proved fake; it had never been issued.

The committee, headed by additional secretary Noor Mohammad Shah, has submitted a report with findings went reportedly against Dr Pahore and Sattar Jatoi.

The Sindh secretary health did not reply as to what was recommendation of the inquiry committee, saying: `I have not seen the enquiry report` Several LUH officials, including doctors, recorded statements before the inquiry committee in Karachi.