ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has once again assigned temporary charges to officers on key posts instead of making permanent appointments, sources in the Ministry of National Health said.
According to sources, DRAP, the regulatory body responsible for overseeing the pharmaceutical industry, is facing a severe shortage of staff.
Various divisions and departments of DRAP have been operating with officers holding temporary charges for the past four years, sources said.
Sources said officers have once again been given temporary responsibilities in different DRAP departments for three months or until permanent appointments are made.
According to a notification issued by DRAP’s Human Resource Department, six additional directors have been given temporary charge of director-level posts.
In the Health and OTC Division, Additional Director Manzoor Buzdar and Additional Director Muneeza Khan, who had been serving in the division for a long period, have been transferred.
Additional Director Ajmal Sohail Asif has been given temporary charge of Director Health and OTC.
According to the notification, Additional Director Manzoor Buzdar has been assigned temporary charge of Director Controlled Drugs, while Additional Director Muneeza Khan has been transferred from Health and OTC to the Pharmacy Services Division.
Additional Director Atta-ur-Rehman has been given charge of Director MIS, while Additional Director Hussain Khan has been assigned charge of Director PER Division.
Additional Director Usman Badr has been given charge of Director Administration, HR and Logistics, while Additional Director Aamir Latif has been assigned additional charge of Director Legal Affairs.
Sources said DRAP is facing a severe shortage of manpower at its central office as well as provincial offices, which is also affecting routine administrative work.
