No appointments in health ministry without my approval: Ghani

KABUL (Pajhwok): President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has stressed over legal appointments in the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and added appointments without his approval were not legitimate and the past six months contracts would be reviewed. This comes at a time when recently four close aides to the public health minister arrested over allegedly receiving bribe.

According to the source Health Minister’s Usmani’s brother Ahmad Shakran Usmani, his cousins Kawa Sarmast, Hamid Hameedi Faramrz and Senior Ministry Advisor Faridon Sultani received the bribe. Following the alleged corruption charges, Health Minister Usmani was sacked and the Presidential Palace warned every department is responsible for any corruption happening under its periphery.

A statement from Presidential Palace said that President Ashraf Ghani held a meeting with assistant ministers of the ministry and expressed concern over recent incident happened in the ministry. The president stressed that law should be respected and all proceedings should be conducted through legal manner and individuals violating the law should be punished.

The president said a political personality will not be sent to the ministry and besides acting minister the ministry will have a professional in charge. He stressed cooperation, connectivity, decent working environment and a strong determination for reform in the ministry. He termed medical an important sector and stressed over a transparent and clear national programme with open discussion on how to improve the health sector and deal with coronavirus.