LAHORE: The two departmental promotion committees (DPCs) are all set to fill top three positions (from around 70 shortlistedcandidates)ofBPS20,19and 18 of the anaesthesia department at the Shaikh Zayed Hospital (SZH).

One DPC will be chaired by the Punjab chief secretary for the BPS 20 slot whileLAHORE: The two departmental promotion committees (DPCs) are all set to fill top three positions (from around 70 shortlistedcandidates)ofBPS20,19and 18 of the anaesthesia department at the Shaikh Zayed Hospital (SZH).

One DPC will be chaired by the Punjab chief secretary for the BPS 20 slot whileanother will be headed by SZH head Prof Dr Farid Ahmad Khan.

The slot of professor in the anaesthesia department had fallen vacant after the retirement of Prof Dr Mohammad Nauman on Sept 9, a senior official told Dawn.

He said the anaesthesia department was considered to be the backbone of a healthcare facility, but ironically the two other important slots -associate and assistant professors -of the same unit had been lying vacant for the last five years.

After the retirement of Prof Nauman, the department was being run mostly by junior medics at the teaching hospitalwhere dozens of sensitive and critical surgeries, including liver transplant, were being done every week, he said.

Even the intensive care units were also being looked after by these junior medics, he said.

The official said the institute received applications against the vacant positions at the anaesthesia department both from inside and outside the country.

After the scrutiny of applications, the institute shortlisted nearly 70 candidates, seven for the professor (BPS 20) slot and 60 others for the associate (BPS 19) and assistant professor (BPS 18) slots.

The interview process is likely to be started next week. The Punjab chief sec-retary will chair the DPC which will conduct interviews for the vacant slot of professor.

The interviews for two other positions will be conducted by the DPC which will be headed by Shaikh Zayed Medical Complex chairman/dean Prof Dr Farid Ahmad Khan.

The official said that local candidates who applied for the post of anaesthesia professor included Prof Dr Mohammad Ishaq (Shalamar Hospital, Lahore), Prof Dr Lena and Prof Dr Khalid Butt (Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore) and Prof Dr Jodat from the private sector.

He said the institute`s another top slot -deputy dean -also fell vacant after theretary will chair the DPC which will conduct interviews for the vacant slot of professor.

The interviews for two other positions will be conducted by the DPC which will be headed by Shaikh Zayed Medical Complex chairman/dean Prof Dr Farid Ahmad Khan.

The official said that local candidates who applied for the post of anaesthesia professor included Prof Dr Mohammad Ishaq (Shalamar Hospital, Lahore), Prof Dr Lena and Prof Dr Khalid Butt (Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore) and Prof Dr Jodat from the private sector.

He said the institute`s another top slot -deputy dean -also fell vacant after theretirement of Prof Dr Atiya Mahboob on Sept 28.

The institute appointed on Thursday a senior medical teacher and head of the orthopedic department Prof Dr Shafiq Ahmad Shafaq as deputy dean.

Another senior medical teacher and cardiac surgery professor Dr Ajmal Naqvi is also going to retire in December this year.

The official said the institute, which was already facing dearth of medics including faculty members, would likely to get 50 new medical of ficers next week.

The institute has finalized the interview process of new MOs and a final list in this regard will soon be issued, he said.retirement of Prof Dr Atiya Mahboob on Sept 28.

The institute appointed on Thursday a senior medical teacher and head of the orthopedic department Prof Dr Shafiq Ahmad Shafaq as deputy dean.

Another senior medical teacher and cardiac surgery professor Dr Ajmal Naqvi is also going to retire in December this year.

The official said the institute, which was already facing dearth of medics including faculty members, would likely to get 50 new medical of ficers next week.

The institute has finalized the interview process of new MOs and a final list in this regard will soon be issued, he said.