THATTA
OPDs remained shut and official work remained suspended at District Health offices of Thatta and Sujawal on Wednesday in protest against the show cause notice issued to District Health Officer Thatta Dr. Hanif Memon by ADC-I Thatta Riaz Ahmed Laghari seeking explanation over the slow pace of COVID vaccination in the district.
Doctors, Paramedics clerks, and other staff under the aegis of the Joint Action committee took out rallies and staged protests against the “illegal” move of ADC-I against the head of the district health department.
The Rallies were laid by Abdul Karim Band, Ashraf Kaushik, Dr. Shayam Kumar, Manzoor Chandio, Dr. Mahmood, and others however President APCA Sujawal Khamiso Khowaja led the protest rally in Sujawal.
“I wonder how an officer of 18th grade can issue a show-cause notice to a 20th-grade officer”; questioned Abdul Karim Band and said that the notice was illegal and based on mala-fide intention”.
Dr. Mahmood claimed that it was an abuse of power on the part of the ADC who did not evaluate his power before issuing this notice and added that in legal parlance such acts were considered ultra-vires.
Khamiso Khowaja said that ADC-I had no right to derogate the district health officer as he held a higher official rank adding that this sort of unlawful action would lead to a clash between the departments.
They warned to enhance the scope of their protest if the notice was not taken back by the concerned officer.
Meanwhile, District Commissioner Thatta told local reporters that the purpose of the notice was to seek an explanation over the lethargy of the health department about the Vaccination drive in the district. He accused DHO of evading his responsibilities.
