Summary sent to govt to extend terms of BoG members in public hospitals

PESHAWAR: The ball is now in the court of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government whether to extend term of some members of the board of governors or enable the search and nomination council to recommend new names for the boards as most people of the present setup are due to complete their three-year time in May.

According to sources, the provincial Health Department on Tuesday moved a summary to the government to give extension to the members completing their term or announce search and nomination council and task it with recommending new people for the future setup.

The PTI leadership had announced to introduce reforms in the public sector hospitals of the province after promulgation of Medical and Teaching Institutions Reforms Act 2015 (MTI Act 2015).

The government had implemented the MTI Act in some of the tertiary care hospitals including Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) and Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) in Peshawar, Ayub Medical College (AMC) in Abbottabad, Bacha Khan Medical College (BKMC) in Mardan, Bannu Medical College (BMC) in Bannu and Gomal Medical College (GMC) in Dera Ismail Khan. As per MTI Act, each hospital was supposed to operate through Board of Governors (BoG).

The sources said Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has been requested to seek approval in the tenure of the outgoing BoG members from the provincial cabinet or announce search and nomination council for choosing new members.

Some officials were of the view that the government could face legal issues if it gave full term (three years) extension to the BoG members. They feared that this could be challenged in the court as the Election Commission of Pakistan has banned fresh appointments from April 1.

“There is a huge pressure right now from certain circles in the PTI on the government to grant full term extension to the present BoGs but it’s not an easy job. They could face legal issues which ultimately would cause damage to the institutions in case a new government of another political party came into power and decided to reverse the PTI health system,” a senior government official opined.

The recent visit of Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar to Peshawar and his comments about health services in KP had put a question mark over the work of the BoGs.

Dr Asim Yousaf is BoG member of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad and will complete his tenure on May 5, 2018.

In Hayatabad Medical Complex, the BoG members including its chairman Sahibzada Saeed, ex-federal secretary and ex-finance secretary KP, Dr Khalid Khan, plastic surgeon, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, UK, Shamsul Qayyum, former president Bank of Khyber, and Dr Rubina Gillani, who has worked for an international organization, are due to complete their term on May 6.

Major General (R) Tajul Haq, ex-inspector general FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, will complete his three years term on July 2, 2018.

Rashid Khan, who was initially a member of the BoG at the LRH and then readjusted as member of BoG at HMC, and Dr Jehanzeb Malik, consultant cardiac anaesthetist would continue till October 15, 2018.

In KTH, the BoG members, including the board chairman Dr Faisal Sultan, who is CEO Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Lahore, Mrs Shahana Mehmood, interior designer, Shah Jehan, ex-director, Management Sciences Peshawar, Dr Mohsin Khan, chairman Institute of Management Sciences, Hayatabad Peshawar, and Dil Roz Khan, chartered accountant and businessman, would complete their term on May 6, 2018.

The BoG members of KP’s oldest and largest hospital, LRH, including the chairman, Dr Nausherwan Burki, a pulmonologist MD PhD based in the US, Major General (R) Dr Amjad Fahim, Army Medical Corps, ex-commandant and CEO Military Hospital in Rawalpindi, Dr Abdul Bari Khan, CEO Indus Hospital in Karachi, Dr Mian Tahir Shah, surgeon based in Saudi Arabia, accredited director in trauma, are supposed to work till May 6, 2018 while Justice (R) Mian Mohammad Ajmal’s term will expire on October 16, 2018.