KP medical institutions being run on ad hoc basis

PESHAWAR: Except Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) Peshawar, almost all major teaching hospitals in the province are being run on an acting charge basis by their the Boards of Governors (BoGs).

“We are receiving complaints about various issues, particularly about merit and procurement rules, but we are helpless to intervene as they are autonomous and are being run by their boards of governors,” a senior official of the provincial Health Department told The News on condition of anonymity. He alleged most members and heads of boards were political appointees.

Besides other hospitals, Qazi Hussain Ahmad Medical Complex (QHAMC) in Nowshera and Mardan Medical Complex (MMC) are being run on an acting charge basis for more than a year.

QHAMC Nowshera had been in headlines for the past more than a year due to mismanagement and violation of merit in key appointments, but the provincial government was unable to take action.

All important positions in the medical college and its teaching hospital including the dean, medical director (MD) and hospital director (HD) have been vacant for more than a year and are being run on an acting charge basis.

The BoG of QHAMC, Nowshera, is headed by Ishfaq Khan, a retired civil servant who first served as Secretary of Irrigation department under Pervaiz Khattak and then as his principal secretary when he became the chief minister.

As chairman of QHAMC Nowshera, Ishfaq has been unable to fill positions of dean, MD and HD for more than a year. Sources said the present board, through this interim set-up, recruited about 400 employees in the two institutions. Most of the technical staff recruited during the previous board headed by Prof Nurul Iman had been fired to create space for new recruitments.

The Dean and MD positions are being held by a dentist in Nowshera, which is stated to be completely against the MTI Law.

In Mardan, all important positions, including the dean, medical director and hospital director, have been lying vacant since February 2022. All these positions are being held on an acting charge basis.

A previous board, headed by Dr Javed Khan, had removed the Dean, MD and HD and then he and along with other BoG members were de-notified by the government, apparently at the behest of a minister.

Despite repeated attempts, chairman BoG MMC, Attaullah Toru could not be reached as his only available phone number given by the hospital to this scribe was constantly found off. He did not reply to text messages sent to his cell phone.

In Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar, the medical director’s position is being run on an acting charge basis for some time, the hospital spokesan Sajjad Khan has confirmed to The News.

In Swabi’s Bacha Khan Medical Complex Hospital, the HD’s position has been vacant for more than a year. Two former directors-general, Dr Ayub Rose and Dr Arshad Khan were shortlisted but none of them was appointed due to unknown reasons.

A spokesperson for BKMC Swabi, Rahamshed Khan said they had advertised the HD position and shortlisted three applicants. The references they had given could not satisfy the BoG and none of them was considered for the job. He said the position is still being held by an acting HD.

In Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad, the HD position has been vacant for the past six months and a junior doctor is assigned the position on an acting charge basis. An official of the hospital in Abbottabad confirmed that the HD position has been lying vacant for some time, but did not say when it would be filled.

In the Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, the Dean and MD positions have been vacant for quite some time. The board appointed the Dean but could not appoint a permanent MD.

The board removed Dr Baseer who also served as acting medical director, and replaced him with Dr Shehzad, director of emergency services. The HD is likely to be relieved very soon.

LRH spokesman Mohammad Asim said they had recently appointed the Dean and efforts were underway for a permanent medical director.

In the Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC), the important position of Dean had been vacant since its establishment. Medical Director PIC, Dr Shahkar Ahmad Shah had once told The News that the Dean could be appointed as it was not a teaching institution.

Chairman of QAHMC Ishaq Khan once told this correspondent that he had decided to block him as he was critical of his institution. Health Minister Taimur Jhagra did not answer phone calls. To a text message, he said he would call, but did not till the filing of this report.