Islamabad: The federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has witnessed another major bureaucratic change with the transfer of Secretary Health Hamed Yaqoob Shaikh, making him the fourth secretary to leave the ministry’s top administrative post during the tenure of Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal, raising concerns about continued instability in the ministry’s leadership.
According to an official notification issued by the Establishment Division on March 5, Hamed Yaqoob Shaikh, a BS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service serving as Secretary National Health Services, has been transferred and posted as Secretary Petroleum Division with immediate effect.
Following his transfer, Special Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri has been assigned the additional charge of Secretary Health for three months or until the appointment of a regular secretary, whichever occurs earlier, according to a separate government notification issued the same day.
The latest move marks the fourth change at the level of secretary in the federal health ministry during the current minister’s tenure, a development that officials say has disrupted administrative continuity in a ministry already dealing with complex public health challenges.
Before Hamed Yaqoob Shaikh, Nadeem Mahbub had served as Secretary Health but was also transferred from the ministry. Officials in the Establishment Division said both secretaries had themselves requested transfers to other ministries after serving at the health division.
Apart from the two secretaries, the ministry has also seen the removal of two Special Secretaries — Mirza Nasiruddin Mashood Ahmed and Waqar ul Hasan — during the same period. Officials said the services of both officers were surrendered by the ministry to the Establishment Division, leading to their removal from the health division.
During his tenure in the ministry, Waqar ul Hasan had also briefly held the additional charge of Secretary Health while serving as Special Secretary, reflecting the frequent administrative adjustments within the division.
In addition to the removal of secretaries and special secretaries, Additional Secretary Moazzam Ali Khan was also transferred out of the ministry, further adding to the turnover in the senior management of the health division.
Senior officials familiar with the situation say repeated bureaucratic changes have created uncertainty within the ministry at a time when the federal government is dealing with major health sector issues, including disease control programmes, regulatory reforms and coordination with provinces.
Officials say the continuing reshuffle has also affected key programmes, with the multi billion rupee Hepatitis Control Programme currently without a director and the Common Management Unit for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria still lacking a permanent head, while several newly constructed hospitals are yet to be made functional.
The changes have not been limited to the administrative leadership of the ministry. At least two Directors General of Health — Dr Shabana Saleem and Dr Ayesha Isani — were also removed abruptly during the past two years, according to officials in the health sector.
Observers within the health system say frequent reshuffling of top officials has affected institutional continuity in the ministry, where long term policy planning and coordination with provincial governments are considered essential for implementing national health programmes.
Officials noted that the National Health Services division oversees several key federal institutions including the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, the National Institute of Health, national disease control programmes and international health coordination, making administrative stability particularly important.
With the appointment of Muhammad Aslam Ghauri as acting secretary, the ministry will once again be led by an officer holding additional charge until a permanent appointment is made.
Establishment Division officials say a decision on the posting of a regular Secretary Health is expected in the coming weeks, though no formal announcement has yet been made.
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