LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has rejected the search panels recommended by the health department for the appointment of vice chancellors of three medical universities in the city and added some new names, raising many an eyebrow.

The ‘surprise’ entry of former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) head Ahad Cheema and Prof Amir Aziz in the panels has stunned the medical comity as well as other stakeholders.

They were of the view that the replacement of [seasoned] medical professionals by a former LDA head might cast aspersions on the selection process.

The health department had proposed panels by adding names of well-reputed senior doctors for the appointment of VCs of the King Edward Medical University (KEMU), the University of Health Sciences (UHS), and the Fatima Jinnah Medical University (FJMU).

Some new entrants don’t belong to medical field

However, the CM almost changed the panels by replacing many of them against each panel, an official privy to the information told Dawn.

He said the changes in the KEMU search panel, however, shocked many of the health officials and other stakeholders when they found the name of retired principal of a government medical college, Prof Amir Aziz.

He has been made convenor of the panel for the KEMU by the chief minister. The official said Prof Amir Aziz has ‘fondness’ for the FCPS degree programme and those candidates who have applied with MS/MD qualification background are finding them ‘in hot water’.

The other members of this panel are: Allama Iqbal Medical College ex-principal Prof Dr Eice Mohammad, Akhuwat Foundation Executive Director Dr Mohammad Amjad Saqib and retired Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday. The CM’s decision to include former LDA director Ahad Khan Cheema in the search board for FJMU has stunned many professionals.

The official said Mr Cheema’s inclusion [in the panel] for the selection of a medical university’s VC is beyond comprehension. “Ahad Cheema is a grade-19 officer while the in-question position for which selection is to be made is of BS-20.”

The selection of senior officer by a junior one might create legal issues in future, he said adding that the health department had proposed ex-principal of Postgraduate

Medical Institute, Lahore, Prof Anjum Habib Vohra for this panel.Retired VC of KEMU Prof Dr Faisal Masood has been made convenor of this panel while other members included Indus Hospital Karachi Chief Executive Officer Dr Abdul Bari Khan.

For the UHS, the health department had proposed Shaikh Zayed Hospital’s former chairman Prof Dr Anwar A. Khan to head the search panel.

The CM, however, made major changes in this panel, making Prof Dr Nusratullah Chaudhry (a retired professor of medicine) as its convenor.

He also removed ex-pro vice chancellor of KEMU Prof Syed Mohammad Awais replacing him by Prof Dr Faisal Masood.

The other members of this panel are retired Justice Amer Raza Khan, University of Engineering and Technology ex-VC Mohammad Akram Khan and retired senior civil servant Sibtain Fazal Haleem.

As many as 35 medical teachers, including former VCs and principals of public medical institutions, have applied for the top slots of these varsities.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2017