Alleged irregularities have been reported in the recruitment of doctors, dental staff and nurses for hospitals in Hazara Division, with affected candidates claiming that appointments for Mansehra district were made from other regions despite divisional-level interviews.
According to sources, candidates from Chitral, Bannu, Mardan and Peshawar were included in recruitment lists for posts in Mansehra district after interviews were conducted at divisional headquarters across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The affected candidates say the process violated the advertisement and recruitment rules.
The appointments were made on a contract basis to address shortages of doctors and nursing staff in hospitals across the province. Sources said interview committees at divisional headquarters, including Hazara, prepared lists for doctors, dental staff and nurses and forwarded them to the Health Department in Peshawar.
However, candidates alleged that the Health Secretary combined candidates from different districts of the province and prepared a province-wide merit list, despite the posts being advertised at the regional level. They said this deprived local candidates in Mansehra and other Hazara districts of fair consideration.
Candidates threaten legal action
Affected candidates have threatened to approach the court against the recruitment process. They said that if appointments were to be made on a provincial merit basis, the process should have been conducted through the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency or the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission.
The candidates also called on the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, provincial ministers and lawmakers from Hazara Division to take notice of what they described as injustice with local applicants.
Citizens urge Hazara lawmakers to intervene
Residents of Mansehra also appealed to elected representatives from Hazara to raise the issue at the provincial level. They said local doctors should be given fair opportunities because medical staff appointed from distant areas often seek transfers after a short period.
Citizens said frequent transfers affect healthcare delivery in local hospitals and create difficulties for patients who depend on public-sector medical facilities.
The affected candidates said they would continue to pursue their rights through legal and administrative forums if the recruitment process was not reviewed.
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