Row between ministries put youth in a dilemma Okaz/Saudi Gazette ABHA — About 10,000 health diploma graduates who were appointed to government and private establishments have yet to take up their posts. The graduates were supposed to start their duties on Saturday, however their employers are still waiting to receive their names and data. A row has now broken out between the ministries of Civil Service and Health over who is responsible for the embarrassing error. Abdul Aziz Al-Khenain, spokesman of the Ministry of Civil Service, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette it was not responsible for the delay in the graduates starting their jobs. The ministry has complied with the Royal Order and given the names of 14,000 graduates to the Ministry of Health, private sector and health authorities,” he insisted. The role of the ministry, Al-Khenain said, is to nominate candidates for jobs after evaluation and comparison and providing the authorities concerned with the names of candidates. He stressed their starting date is a matter for the establishments they have been nominated to work for. However, Khaled Marghalani, Ministry of Health spokesman, said the issue of the 10,000 graduates “is not under our jurisdiction but comes under the powers of the Ministry of Civil Service.” He said it has already been announced that the Health Ministry would take 4,000 graduates in different health sectors of the ministry. Over 900 of them have been employed on receiving the list of names and rest of the candidates would be dealt with in the coming weeks. Marghalani said the Ministry of Health has received the CD with the names of the candidates appointed in their ministry only. Out of the thousands of students who graduated, 4,000 have been posted to the Ministry of Health, 4,000 to other health authorities, and 6,000 to the private sector. One graduate Saad Al-Ahmari told Okaz/Saudi Gazette the Labor Office in Asir refused to receive him as the names have not yet arrived. However, Hattab Al-Inizi, Ministry of Labor spokesman, insisted the ministry has no role in searching for jobs in the private sector for graduates. He said it is the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) that is responsible. __
