LAHORE, Aug 29: The Pakistan Medical Association has said that board of governors (BoGs) of autonomous health institutions have become puppets in the hands of the provincial health minister and the secretary.

In a joint statement issued here on Thursday, PMA office-bearers said cancellation of the interviews of the shortlisted candidates for the slot of principal executive officer of the Lahore General Hospital was a glaring example of the highhandedness of the minister and the secretary besides the unassuming attitude of the BoGs.

They said BoG official members had also taken an illegal step by deciding to re-advertise the post on the pretext that no teacher, particularly a neuro-surgeon, was among the shortlisted candidates.

They said names of most PEOs had already been finalized by the minister and the secretary and interviews were just a mockery because official members were manoeuvring and forcing the non-official members to select their favourites.

The situation reiterates the PMA stand that the health ordinance was full of loopholes and requires to be rectified. The BoGs must be allowed to work independently.

PMA Centre president Yasmin Rashid, Punjab president Dr Dil Muhammad Mirza and Lahore general secretary Azeemuddin Zahid also demanded that senior most members of the faculty should be made members of the BoGs. — Reporter