Rawalpindi: Senior officials arrested for recruitment of "doctors" on bogus degrees

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Corruption Department (ACD) arrested District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) medical superintendent (MS), deputy medical superintendent (DMS) and Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) director finance for recruitment of doctors on bogus degrees in DHQ Hospital, while six others are still at large and raids are being conducted to nab them.

Talking to newsmen, Rawalpindi ACD Regional Director Muhammad Amin Khattak said DHQ Hospital MS Dr Kahlid Iqbal Malik DMS Dr Bilal Arshad and accountant Asif Ayub, RMC director finance Muhammad Rashid and three real brothers Syed Naseer-ud-Din, Syed Alla-ud-Din and Syed Salah-ud-Din, who were recruited as doctors in DHQ Hospital on bogus degrees, had been arrested on the night between Saturday and Sunday.

He said FIR No 24 was registered under section 420, 471, 109 CRPC and 52 and 47 Provincial Corruption Act (PCA) against 12 persons. He said ACD arrested six people and were searching six other including DHQ Hospital Head Clerk Malik Irfan, his wife Riffat Shaheen and three lady doctors who possessed bogus MBBS degrees and were recruited as doctors including Dr Mobeen Akhtar, Dr Marryam Waqar and Dr Romana Malik.

He said some months ago six unqualified persons including the three real brothers, Charge Nurse Riffat Shaheen, Mobeen Akhtar and Marriyam Waqar were appointed illegally on the seats of doctors in DHQ Hospital Rawalpindi. They all possessed the degrees of MD form Kabul, Afghanistan.

He said on revealing the story by media Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif constituted an inquiry committee to probe the fake degrees case. The committee comprised Punjab additional secretary heath and directors health from Lahore and Rawalpindi regions.

The committee investigated the matter and found 12 persons guilty. The inquiry report was sent to the CM who ordered DG Anti Corruption Kazim Ali Malik to register a case against guilty persons and arrest them.

“Although Dr Bilal Arshad and Dr Romana Malik had original MBBS degrees, but their cases were quite different. Dr Arshad, who was working at DHQ Hospital, resigned from service almost two years ago. After the lapse of two years he was reinstated again and he drew the pay and allowances for the two years of his absence. While Dr Romana Malik who was the wife of DMS Dr Masood Malik and working in another hospital was appointed as senior medical officer in DHQ by ignoring rule and regulations,” he said.

Khattak said it was very astonishing that Syed Naseer-ud-Din applied for dispenser course at DHQ Hospital three years ago but disqualified on the grounds that he possessed bogus certificate of matriculation, but after three years he was selected for the post of doctor in the same hospital. Similarly, Riffat Shaheen who was a nurse was also appointed as medical officer, he said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_1