November 7, 2002	Thursday	Ramazan 1,1423

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RAWALPINDI, Nov 6: The Punjab government as a snub to the chairman board of governors, autonomous hospitals, has refused to take back the transfer orders of Medical Superintendent of Holy Family Hospital, Dr Nisar Ahmed Cheema, highly placed sources in the Health Department told Dawn late Wednesday.

They added that this had been communicated to the BoG through the health secretary.

The sources claimed that the chairman had been told that the government would be constrained to reconstitute the board if the crisis did not end immediately. The performance of the chairman has not been up to the mark, they observed and added that the dismissal of the chairman of Ganga Ram board is before everyone.”However, the government has suggested that the board should find a solution to the crisis by itself,” one of the sources remarked.

The source further said that at the time of appointment, the chairmen of all the boards had been told that they were “chairmen with the board” and not the holder of any executive office. He said that they were also told that an authoritarian approach wouldn’t be acceptable.

All matters concerning the BoG, he said, have to be resolved through majority vote and not on the whims of a single person.

The district council on Tuesday passed a unanimous resolution demanding dismissal of the chairman BoG and principal executive officer, accusing them of maladministration.

Regarding the transfer of the medical superintendent Holy Family Hospital Dr Nisar Cheema, the sources said: “the request for repatriation of the officer is being sent back with the directives that any such matter should be referred to after consensus approval of the BoG and fulfilling the required legal procedures.”

On the internal front, the members have complained of the attitude of the chairman in black and white. They have demanded a thorough discussion on the irregularities being committed by the administration and suspension of the decisions of the chairman taken at the last meeting.

In their letters, the members have criticised the chairman and the administration for being indifferent to the suffering of the poor patients. One of such letters sent to the Punjab governor khalid Maqbool stated:

“No one has even bothered to visit the patients who are supposed to be looked after, no one cares to see the provision of medicines and linen etc, while the attention is grossly misplaced.”

Accusing further, the letters pointed out, that the patients aren’t getting anything while the administration is busy purchasing airconditioners and cars for themselves and that too in violation of the government rules.”

Blasting the chairman for his totalitarian approach, one of the members said: “Autonomy has been granted to the institutions and not individuals. No individual has been given any special power, and it is difficult to comprehend the approach aimed at eliminating participation by others and bringing the institutions under single handed control.