PESHAWAR: Almost three years after implementation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government’s much-trumpeted health reforms, situation is still uncertain as now Medical Director (MD) of the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Prof Mukhtiar Zaman Afridi has resigned from his position.
According to sources, Prof Mukhtiar had developed differences with Dr Nausherwan Burki, Chairman of the Board of Governors (BoG) who is considered architect of health reforms in KP's hospitals.
Prof Mukhtiar is a foreign qualified pulmonologist and was head of Pulmonology Department of the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) in Peshawar before joining the LRH as its MD in July 2016. He was appointed for a period of three years and was the first regular MD of the hospital. The appointment of the MD and other important positions were delayed for more one and a half years due to a host of reasons, including court litigations and strong resistance to the new system.
Prof Mukhtiar had initially developed a very good working relationship with Dr Burki when he quit his civil service job to join the new and challenging job of MD of the LRH. He had taken a risk by resigning from his 19-year-long civil service of professor in KTH and Khyber Medical College (KMC) where he began his career as a young assistant professor in 1997 after returning from United Kingdom. Also, he had not only resigned from his government job, he had closed his established private clinic at Peshawar's Dabgari Gardens locality.
As per requirement of the MTI Act, the MD and Dean are required to operate private clinic within the institution. The real story started from his recent decision to withdraw his resignation that he had tendered three years ago from civil service. According to sources close to him, Prof Mukhtiar decided to withdraw his resignation after Dr Burki failed to fulfil his commitment made with him before bringing him to the LRH.
This correspondent managed to obtain a letter that Prof Mukhtiar had sent to Dr Burki and other administrative officials of the hospital. He had explained the reasons of his resignation.
"All good things come to an end and this one is no difference. Socrates with the poisonous cup in his hand asked his disciple why are you crying. He answered that you are going to be killed for no sin of yours. Socrates gulped the poison and said do not be stupid! Do you want me to die for a sin,” Prof Mukhtiar explained in the letter.
He further stated, "In the last 21 months we had many ups and downs, good and bad days, laugh and tears, agreements and disagreements, push and pulls, but we have never become intolerant, disrespectful and uncaring for each other. You all have welcomed me with open arms and adopting the virtues of Ansar-e-Madina, as I was from a different institution, rather than making LRH as a Taif valley of which I was scared off," he said in the resignation letter.
He said that as a civil servant, he could not continue as MD which is an MTI (medical teaching institution) post and the government could not ensure his civil service benefits and emoluments after resignation due to lack of rules and regulations which could serve as bridge between civil service and MTI.
Dr Nausherwan Burki accepted his resignation and appreciated his devotion.
"Consequent to the government notification on February 21, 2018, regarding withdrawal of your resignation, the BoG discussed the situation in detail and the options available. It was the consensus that in order to continue as MD, you would have to resign from the civil service otherwise you would have to step down from the MD post. For you to continue as MD without resignation from the civil service would be in violation of the signed contract between yourself and the institution," Dr Burki wrote to Dr Mukhtiar.