Acute medical unit at LRH abolished

PESHAWAR: The newly appointed medical director of the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar has abolished the acute medical unit and general internal medicine and named it as medical unit.

“There is no subdivision and no concept of units within the medical department and all beds will be available for admission of medical patients ignoring the geographical location. Faculty of both general internal medicine and acute medical unit to be merged to provide care for medical patients,” the medical director explained in a letter meant for the hospital administration and other departments.

Dr Atta Mohammad Khan was assigned to work as head of the medical unit under the umbrella of chairman of the medical and allied department. Similarly, Dr Hashim Raza, an acute medical specialist, was directed to work in the hospital emergency department in the emergency medical admission unit.

The faculty members appreciated the decision of the acting medical director and hoped it would stop the trend of creating a “state within the state”.“The faculty must appreciate medical director Dr Hamid Shahzad for showing courage and taking a bold decision to abolish small units within a unit, but the question is who will make the people accountable who created these units and caused suffering to patients,” a senior faculty member opined.

He said the previous medical directors were aware of the fact that these units were causing problems for patients and faculty members but they lacked the courage to abolish them.

The medical director’s position at LRH has been vacant for more than three years and the Chairman of the Board of Governors (BoG) Dr Nausherwan Burki has yet to advertise it and appoint a permanent MD. The dean’s position remained vacant for more than a year.