Ombudsman Orders Payment Of Monthly Stipend To KMC Doctors

Provincial Ombudsman, Sindh Ajiz Ali Khan Tuesday Ordered the authorities of Karachi Medical and Dental College (KMDC) and KMC to ensure payment of monthly stipend of Rs.45,000 to BDS House Officers

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Nov, 2022 ) :Provincial Ombudsman, Sindh Ajiz Ali Khan Tuesday Ordered the authorities of Karachi Medical and Dental College (KMDC) and KMC to ensure payment of monthly stipend of Rs.45,000 to BDS House Officers.

He also directed the Administrator KMC to release the required fund to KMDC for payment of stipend including arrears to the BDS House Job Officers.

The Chief Secretary Sindh and Secretary, Local Government & House Town Planning Department, Sindh have also been directed to expedite the process of release of funds and to take steps to end the discriminatory treatment with BDS House Job Officers on priority basis and to get rid of financial constraints faced by the KMDC.

The order came up on a complaint filed by Dr. Ahmed Iqbal & 94 other BDS doctors of Batch-2021, thereby stating that Finance Department, Government of Sindh had notified payment of Rs.45,000/- per month to House Job Officers but no such amount was mentioned in their offer letters whereas it has been mentioned in the offer letters of MBBS doctors and alleged that amount of stipend was not being paid to them despite repeated requests to relevant authorities.

The complaint was admitted and taken up with Principal KMDC, where from it has been reported that MBBS House Job Officers were being engaged and paid by Abbasi Shaheed Hospital which receive complete grant from KMC whereas the KMDC does not receive sufficient funds from KMC as such BDS House Job Officers were being paid less than the MBBS House Job Officers and that was why no amount was mentioned in offer letters of BDS officers and that KMDC has no objection in payment of Rs. 45,000/- instead of Rs.30,000/- per month, if KMC released funds as per requirement of the college for which authorities concerned had already been approached.

Prof. Dr. Nargis Anjum, Principal, KMDC and concerned officers of the college appeared before the Investigating officer for hearing and deposed in writing that stipend for four months has so far been released to BDS House Job Officers and for payment of remaining dues the matter was under process and KMC authorities were being continuously persuaded for release of funds in view of orders passed by High Court of Sindh in similar cases of House Job Officers.

She assured that differential arrears of BDS House Job Officers would be paid on receipt of funds from KMC. She also pointed out that matter regarding award of status of KMDC as Metropolitan University was also placed in the meeting of Sindh Cabinet held in the last week and if it would be approved by the legislature, would help the management to overcome all such financial crises.

The Ombudsman observed that KMDC had been paying stipend to BDS officers at old rates though has no authority to depart from the policy of government of Sindh merely on its own convenience which, otherwise was incomplete disregard of other sister institutions' treatment to its medical graduates where finance department's circular dated April,02,2019 was being implemented without any discrimination.

It has also been observed that KMDC has failed to justify the skipping to mention the amount of stipend in the offer letters issued to BDS House Job Officers and even in the minutes of meeting of Selection Committee for dental house job at KMDC held on January 28 and thus act of mal-administration has been established .