CJP gives one week deadline to K-P govt for shutting down fake doctors

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday ordered the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government to take action against fake doctors across the province and gave a one-week deadline for shutting them down.

Justice Nisar, present at the Peshawar Registry of the apex court, also heard the case relating to fake doctors in the province among others.

During the hearing, chairman of the Healthcare Commission was present in court and was questioned by the chief justice regarding the number of quack doctors in the province, upon which the chairman of the Health Commission informed the court that there are 15,000 fake doctors in the province.

Justice Nisar also questioned the chairman regarding action taken against quacks and asked how many of them have been banned, to which the health official replied saying that a total of 122 doctors have been banned.

Expressing his displeasure, Justice Nisar probed the health official on his salary and was informed it was Rs0.5 million. “The performance is nil as per the salary,” said the CJP.

The top judge then gave a week’s deadline to take action against fake doctors and said that no stay order on the matter will be issued. “Those who seek stay orders should appear in the SC,” the CJP remarked. He also ordered an inquiry report against fake doctors to be presented in court. Justice Nisar, slamming the Healthcare Commission, said the body should be dissolved if it was not performing.

Shifting his focus to the case pertaining to the provision of clean water in K-P, he ordered K-P government to get water samples from the province tested from Punjab’s laboratories. “How do you conduct tests for water when you don’t have a laboratory nor any advance equipment?” he questioned.

The CJP further said water should be filled and tested from the laboratory and ordered the officials to send water samples from Peshawar to Punjab for examination.

During the hearing, Chief Secretary of K-P Mohammad Azam Khan said, “It has been six months since I’ve been the chief secretary. I have come to serve the public and I am determined to do six years worth of work in six month”.

At this, the CJP questioned the secretary on his salary and was informed that he earned Rs180,000. The top judge expressed dissatisfaction and saying that despite drawing a large amount of salary, Khan’s work was unsatisfactory and did not complement his salary.

Source: Express Tribune