LARKANA: Around 50 male and female dental graduates who graduated this year from Bibi Aseefa Dental College (BADC) Larkana have been awaiting a house job at Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on the failure of issuing a gazette notification by the Cabinet Division on the recommendation of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). Health Department has refused to allow house job to these candidates on the pretext of non-availability of required notification. The PMDC after recognizing BADC in the general council meeting on December 15, 2016 has sent a letter to federal government to issue notification which was still pending. BADC was established in 2011 by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University. Every year 50 students are enrolled after an entry test. Approximately 350 students have passed out since the inception of BADC. Principal Dr Ilyas Shaikh stated that the delay in gazette notification has caused unrest among the dentists. He said that they would again approach the PMDC authorities to use influence to get the gazette notification issued. CMCH Medical Superintendent Dr Inayatullah Kandhro said that there were 350 sanctioned posts for house job officers in the Hospital of which 190 have been filled by MBBS graduates of Chandka Medical College while 160 seats were vacant. He said hospital administration has already writtena letter to the health department with a request to allow house job to 50 Bachelor of Dentists and Surgery graduates with condition of funds for payment monthly stipend. He said the documents were still incomplete and without which house job would be fruitless. Meanwhile, as many as 380 general cadre doctors of Basic Pay Scale-17 have been promoted to BPS-18 through Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC), Health Department government of Sindh. A meeting on June 23, 2016 in Karachi under chairmanship of Secretary Ahmed Bux Narejo was held for notification of 297 promoted male doctors. But notification has not been issued for unknown reasons. According to the promoted doctors, “We have been denied our basic right of promotion to the next grade despite eligibility and fulfillment of required formalities”. They alleged 83 female medical officers of BS-17 grade and junior to them have been promoted to BPS-18 and their notification has also been issued in November 2016 by Secretary Usman Chachar. According to policy made by Dr Saeed Mangnejo, the then Health Secretary, those doctors who were recruited on regular basis in 2003 were promoted in January 2016 but despite this fact many doctors were not considered because they were born after January 1965 hence Health Department violated its own declared policy. The affected doctors said that even one doctor having domicile of Naushehro Feroze was promoted to BPS-18 having date of birth of 1968, which they termed a blunder. Even WMOs appointed through Sindh Public Service Commission in 2009 have been promoted to BS-18 which was sheer violation of standing service rules. Several doctors crossing 50 years age with 22 years of active government service have not been promoted which is an act of cruelty, they lamented. The affected doctors have demanded justice be done and their seniority should be determined with those doctors who were promoted to BS-18 earlier. President-elect of Pakistan Medical Association, Dr Ikram Tunio said that it was sheer injustice with promoted doctors as they were being denied their right to the next grade. There is even no service structure of specialist doctors who have been appointed in BS-18 and posted in rural areas as they will retire in the same scale. He said that soon a PMA delegation would call on the health department bosses to sort out the pending issues being faced by the community. Published in Daily Times, August 18th 2017.