KARACHI: Despite the passage of 20 days since the post fell vacant, the Sindh Health Department has failed to appoint a regular District Health Officer (DHO) for Keamari, reflecting ongoing administrative inefficiency under secretary health Sindh Rehan Iqbal Baloch, who was recently declared incompetent by the Sindh High Court Sukkur Bench.
According to a notification dated September 30, 2025, issued by the Health Department, Government of Sindh, Dr. Hussain Ahmed Jhatial, a health management cadre officer (BS-19) currently serving as Additional District Health Officer (Curative), Keamari, has been assigned the additional charge of district health officer Keamari “with immediate effect and till the posting of a regular DHO.”
However, health officials and administrative observers have questioned the decision, pointing out that Dr. Hussain Jhatial was earlier removed from Sindh Government Hospital New Karachi due to poor performance. Despite that, he has now been granted additional charge of multiple health facilities — a move raising serious concerns about merit, accountability, and the decision-making process within the Sindh Health Department.
The development comes at a time when the Sindh High Court Sukkur Bench, in a recent verdict, criticized Health Secretary Rehan Iqbal Baloch for gross negligence, corruption, and administrative failure that have paralyzed Sindh’s healthcare system. The court observed that the Health Department is being run by individuals lacking medical and administrative expertise, which has led to widespread mismanagement.
The delay in appointing a regular DHO for Keamari — a key district facing critical healthcare challenges — further highlights the dysfunction within the department. Health sector insiders describe the appointment of Dr. Jhatial as another example of arbitrary administrative practices under the current health bureaucracy.
Observers say the case underscores the urgent need for reforms and transparent decision-making in Sindh’s health administration to restore public trust and ensure qualified professionals lead vital health offices across the province.
