Dr Fazle Hadi made MMC BoG Chairman

PESHAWAR: The members of the Board of Governors (BoG) in their maiden meeting on Saturday unanimously chose Dr Syed Fazle Hadi as chairman of the board of Mardan Medical Complex (MMC) and approved important projects.

Dr Fazle Hadi, who retired as physician from the federal government, was also chairman of the previous BoG which Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had dissolved along with other boards in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Poor performance was cited as the reason for dissolving of all the BoGs in the case that concerned Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar only.

The BoG members Dr Syed Fazle Hadi, Dr Shahid Khattak, Tahir Ali Khan, Attaullah Khan Toru and Rahimullah Yusufzai attended the meeting. As per press release of the MMC administration, Dr Fazle Hadi was unanimously chosen as chairman of the BoG. One member, Dr Humayun Mohmand also backed Dr Fazle Hadi through WhatsApp as he could not attend the meeting.

The Dean of Bacha Khan Medical College (BKMC) Dr Mohammad Israr, Hospital Director and Medical Director MMC, Dr Tariq Mehmood and Dr Mukhtiar Ali, respectively, Dr Javed Iqbal, project director Benazir Bhutto Children Hospital, Dr Abdul Jamil, project director Nursing College, Mehrun Nisa, nursing director, Azhar Khan, secretary to BoG, and director finance Mohammad Sheraz Khan also attended the meeting.

The BoG later made certain decisions including approval of budget for the year 2017-18 and three positions of associate professors of ENT, Eye and Gynaecology, promotion of all nine senior registrars to the post of assistant professors, starting admissions in Nursing College, purchase of separate generator for power backup for CT scan, appointment of additional staff for the hospital-based fair price pharmacy, and increase in research fund to improve and facilitate research for benefit of patients and increase training opportunities.

The board also decided to operationalise the under-construction hostels of BKMC, purchase an additional CT scan machine, installation of CSSD, generator and laundry at the Benazir Bhutto Children Hospital, setting up department of medical research in BKMC and expansion of cardiology unit.

The hospital has a cardiology department but needs additional trained cardiologists and improvement in emergency services as it always remains over-burdened due to the rising number of cardiac patients brought there from nearby districts.

It may be noted that Dr Fazle Hadi had three years ago as the BoG chairman claimed he would develop the cardiology department and would start angiography and angioplasty procedures.

An observer said he and other members of the board would need to focus on improving services at the tertiary care hospital and play their role in removing administrative disorders for improved patient care.

The Accident and Emergency Department of the hospital always remains under question as after 2pm very few staff members can be found there to handle emergency and trauma cases.

The board did not discuss the institution-based private practice of the doctors. It is an integral component of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Teaching Institution Reforms Act 2015.

Under the act, Medical Director and Dean are required to shift their private clinics to the hospital. There is also a new proposal for which the government may introduce an amendment to the law to make it compulsory for all chairpersons and head of departments to join IBP.

This will not only help the institution generate revenue but ensure quality of services for patients in the hospital. For this purpose, the BoG would need to ensure availability of other services such as pathology and radiology in the hospital.

The board also stressed the need for releasing pending funds for BKMC, MMC and BBCH.