CM notifies BoG members for seven MTIs in KP

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan on Tuesday notified members of the board of governors of seven medical teaching institutions (MTIs) or tertiary care hospitals of the province.

Except the Mardan Medical Complex (MMC), where the government had replaced the entire board members, including its chairman Dr Fazle Hadi, allegedly for their poor performance, the remaining BoGs are mostly retained or made slight changes.

Some senior members of the medical fraternity in KP, however, said that granting third-time extension to the three boards was against the Medical Teaching Institution Reforms Act 2015, saying there was not even a search and nomination council to recommend people to the government for their selection as members of the boards.

“Whether you agree or not, it is a one man show run by Dr Nausherwan Burki. He didn’t take anyone into confidence, even the chief minister and health minister, in all his important decisions related to the health sector,” said a senior medical consultant in Peshawar.

Pleading anonymity, he said no codal formalities were fulfilled in nomination of members of the BoG.

Dr Burki is the cousin of Prime Minister Imran Khan and architect of health reforms in KP.

He has always been under criticism from the political figures of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in KP as well as government officials and doctor community due to his solo flight and certain decisions, but they can’t afford to raise voice due to his unchallengeable powers.

According to the doctors, the government decision of granting third extension to the three boards, the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) and Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) was illegal.

However, a seasoned retired civil servant and chairman of the HMC BoG, Sahibzada Mohammad Saeed didn’t agree with the claim of the doctors.

“Section 5 (3) of the MTI Act, is reproduced below for ready reference: The members shall be appointed and notified by Government on the recommendation of the Search and Nomination Council constituted under section 8 of this Act and they shall have right to vote; Provided that the member shall, unless otherwise directed by the Government, hold office for a period of three years and shall be eligible for re-appointment,” he explained.

According to a notification, the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) got almost the same board but three new members including Dr Ghulam Qadir, Rahat Gul, and Zarak Khan Khattak were added to the board.

The LRH BoG comprises Dr Nausherwan Khan Burki, Prof Dr Shahnaz Nawaz, Prof Dr Ghulam Saddiqui, Shahmsul Qayyum, Ghulam Qadir Khan, Rahat Gul, and Zarak Khan Khattak.

The faculty members in LRH claimed that the two BoG members, Ajmal Khan and Khalid Khan, were replaced as they were critical of certain decisions of Dr Nausherwan Burki and used to challenge his alleged controversial decisions.

The government again announced a board for the ill-governed Mufti Mehmud Teaching Hospital in Dera Ismail Khan, where a previous board was dissolved due to mismanagement and irregularities.

The BoG members had accused Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur of involvement in their affairs.

The BoG members include Muhammad Raza Ali Khan Gandapur, Abdur Rauf Khan, Dr Maqbool Ahmed, llyas Asad Shahzad Qaiser, Arif Aslam Kundi and Naila Ur Rehman.

As mentioned, the government dissolved and replaced the entire board members of Mardan Medical Complex (MMC).

The new board is comprised of Dr Muhammad Javaid Khan, Prof Dr Obaidullah, Dr Muhammad Imranullah, Ms Shandana Saad, Dr Zahooruddin, Tariq Khan and senior journalist Musarrat Khan Aasi

The government finally appointed a separate board for the Qazi Hussain Ahmad Medical Complex in Nowshera, as it was given to the MMC board after a previous board was dissolved.

There were so many accusations against the chairman of the previous board and former Dean Dr Jihangir Khan for allegedly recruiting 30 people of his family in violation of merit.

The new board included Dr Noor-ul-Iman, Dr Muhammad Tahir Khan, Dr Humaira Gilani, Muhammad Shahab Khattak, and Prof Dr Irshad Ahmad.

The Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC) also got almost its previous board but two new members were added to the new body. They include Dr Asif Loya, Dr Mehar Bano, Prof Dr Masood Sadiq, Dr Shafqat Hassan, Dr Hameed Afridi, Suhail Munawar Khattak and Syed Asif Shah.

The Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad also got similar board and they are Dr Muhammad Asim Yousuf, Maj-General (retired) Amjad Faheem, Maj (retired) Dr Sadiq ur Rehman, Dr Ejaz A Khan, Najeeb R. Abbasi, Ms Vardah Malik and Abdul Saboor Usmani.

The HMC BoG got a noted paediatrician Prof Abdul Hameed Khan and the remaining members are retained.

The board is comprised Sahibzada Saeed Ahmad, Maj General (retired Tajul Haq, Rashid A Khan, Dr Rubina Nauman Gilani, Syed Haziq Ali Shah, Dr Jehan Zeb Malik and Dr Abdul Hameed Khan.