LAHORE: The Punjab government has proposed amendments to the services rules to count the experience for promotion of only those medical teachers / doctors who served at `underprivileged` districts of the province during ad hoc appointments.

The move has riled the doctors of the mainstream teaching institutes which played a key role in fighting Covid and dengue epidemics. Despite working on the frontline, they say, they will be denied promotions which is a grave injustice.

Headed by the Punjab chief secretary, the committee comprises secretaries of health, services, regulations, law and other related departments. At a meeting held recently, the committee proposed amendments to the `Punjab Health Department (Medical & Dental Teaching Posts) Service Rules 1979` to give benefit to only those doctors who served in the institutes of underprivileged districts. It ignored more than 150 other medics who served during hardtimes of Covid epidemic at the major teaching institutes of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan, which were declared highly sensitive for sharing a huge burden of the disease.

In 2020, the SH&MED had moved a summary to the Punjab chief minister, seeking one-time extension in ad hoc appointments of these medics. In 2021, they were again granted extension for a brief period.

An official said a number of teaching cadre regular medics serving in the public sector medical institutes were facing discrimination in fundamental right to promotion. He said the ad hoc appointments of these senior medical teachers were made as assistant and associate professors on an emergency basis. He said the `selective justice` landed these medics in trouble when they were declared ineligible to get promotions according to the proposed amendments to the service rules 1979.

`Many of them are exploring the option to quit the government job or challenge the committee`s decision in a court of law for not considering the amendments across the board,` the of ficial said.

The official said the health secretarydefended these medics by preparing a strong case and presenting it at the committee meeting. He presented many references including policies as evidence which were exercised in the past to allow the government to consider the ad hoc period as experience for promotion cases.

`As already laid down, the ad hoc appointment period will count as experience for purpose of fulfilling the requirements of the Service Rules. The ad hoc period in a junior post of a person subsequently selected by the Commission should be taken into consideration when determining his eligibility for a senior post or the same post,` reads an of ficial letter of the Services & General Administration Department issued on Feb 21, 1970.

The committee was further briefed that the ad hoc experience was always considered in the promotion process in the past and was in line with ESTA Codes and there were numerous examples of the people who benefitted. However, the of ficial said, a secretary of a government department strongly opposed the scheme to make amendments for `all medical teachers` suggesting to the CS to restrict these (amendments) to the doctors serving inhard areas of Punjab.

A few other members also endorsed his viewpoint and the committee made a controversial decision to benefit few medics only, he said. He said the Punjab government had offered them appointment on ad hoc seats through advertisements in 2019 when the health department`s requisitions sent to the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) for promotions got delayed.

After the due process, the SH&MED issued no objection certificates (NOCs) to the medics who had applied for ad hoc appointments. However, the Punjab health department later refused to take more services of these medics on an ad hoc basis, directing them to go back to their original seats, the of ficial said.

As they rejoined their original posts, the department told them that the experience they had obtained would not be considered for their promotions against original seats.

The af fected medics have appealed to the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister to take notice of the discrimination and intervene to grant them one-time more exemption besides considering their cases for the promotion.-Asif Chaudhry