PHC adjourns hearing in petitions against Reforms Act

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) adjourned the hearing into the writ petitions against the Medical Teaching Institution Reforms Act 2015 in the teaching hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa till Monday.
A larger bench headed by PHC Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel was hearing the petitions challenging the act. The counsel representing the teaching hospitals, Syed Arshad Ali, said petitioners had given the impression that the act would curtail the autonomy of the hospitals that is against the fact.
He said that reforms had been introduced in the 2015 act and the chief executive’s posts were abolished which was replaced by the board of governors. He added that the BoG members were appointed from the private sector on the recommendation of the search and nomination committee. He contended that health director and medical directors were barred from private practice.
Another counsel for the MTI, Ishaq Ali Qazi, told the court that the new act was meant for providing better health services to the masses and protecting their interests.Advocate General Abdul Latif Yousafzai informed the court that the act was introduced after all constitutional requirements were fulfilled.
He said that the MTI act was not in violation of the basic constitutional rights therefore the court should dispose off the petition. The court adjourned the hearing till Monday.