Accusing Sindh Health Secretary Mansoor Abbas Rizvi of “inefficiency, misconduct and disobedience”, provincial Caretaker Health Minister Dr Saad Khalid Niaz has urged the chief secretary to initiate an inquiry against the health secretary under the Sindh Civil Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules, 1973.In a letter to Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Dr Niaz also accused Rizvi of personal attacks and warned that he would not hesitate to initiate legal action against him for defamation.
He alleged that Rizvi is unworthy of any future sensitive assignment in the government as he has proven his incompetence, indifference to wastage of public resources and moral bankruptcy during his tenure as provincial health secretary.Dr Niaz also denied exerting pressure on Rizvi for the reconstitution of the selection committee for the World Bank-assisted programme titled “Programme Management Unit and Sindh Health Support Programme” (SHSP) to make himself as chairman.
He said all such allegations were baseless and the health secretary must provide substantial evidence before levelling such allegations.He also accused Rizvi of withholding crucial information from him, forwarding important summaries to the provincial cabinet without seeking his consent and distorting facts. He added that the health secretary is falsely claiming that the minister instructed him to solely audit GIMS and JIMS excluding the Sindh Institute of Advanced Endoscopy and Gastroenterology (SIAG).
“My only reservation regarding SIAG was based on the fact that the institute had only been established six months ago and it is a standard practice that one full year is allowed to pass before initiating audits of any institute. It was disconcerting that despite being the secretary of such an important department, Mr. Mansoor was unaware of such procedures,” he said, adding that the secretary’s claim regarding withdrawal of the audit order for SIAG is completely baseless and unfounded.“In reality, it was I who advocated for the inclusion of SIAG and fifteen other institutes to be audited by the Office of the Director General (Audit) Sindh,” the minister further wrote.
He also highlighted the health secretary’s alleged inaction against his brother, who is the medical superintendent of the Sindh Government Hospital Korangi, saying that on 30th January 2024, a news article in Daily Jang surfaced, alleging financial irregularities at the hospital where the secretary’s brother, Dr. Zafar Abbas Rizvi, serves as medical superintendent.The article alleged a disproportionate expenditure of Rs7.8 million incurred on patient food expenses within two months, the health minister said, adding that he immediately ordered initiation of the process to form an inquiry committee to probe into the matter.“Regrettably, no such committee has been constituted, indicating a notable case of nepotism.
Although a letter was issued on very next day to solicit Dr. Rizvi’s comments, it contradicted my directive to form an inquiry committee, which would have been the appropriate body to seek his input once constituted”, the minister added.The health minister highlighted many other issues and instances where the health secretary allegedly disobeyed his directives, showed him absent or away from office while forwarding summaries to the CM and the provincial cabinet.
