ABBOTTABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has formed a 10-member board of governors to run the affairs of the Ayub Medical College (AMC), Abbottabad.

The BoG was formed under the Board of Governors (BoG) Ordinance, 1978 and without suspending the Medical and Health Institutions and Regulations of Health Care Services Ordinance, 2002, which regulates the affairs of Ayub Teaching Hospital, part of the AMC.

According to the notification issued by the provincial health secretary, the BoG is headed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor and comprises the provincial establishment, finance, law and health secretaries, the chief executive of the Ayub Teaching Hospital, the principal of the AMC, the director general of health service, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rustam Shah Mohmand and Sahibzada Mohammad Khalid.

The notification was issued in the light of the Peshawar High Court, Abbottabad circuit bench’s order to revive Ayub Medical College Board of Governors Ordinance, 1978.

Interestingly, the provincial government has partially implemented the order.

The Ayub Teaching Hospital’s affairs will be managed under the NWFP Medical and Health Institutions and Regulations of Health Care Service Ordinance, 2002, while the Ayub Medical College will be looked after by the board of governors.

Teaching hospitals are part of the medical college and without a teaching hospital, medical college is not allowed to function.

The 1978 Ordinance clearly states, “The Teaching Hospital is an integral part of the Medical College and has been constructed on the cost of the Teaching Hospital as legally required for running a Medical Institution.” Also, Section 2(C) of the Board of Governors Ordinance, 1978 reads, “College means the Ayub Medical College and includes the hospital attached.”

Ayub Medical College Principal Professor Shahid Sultan is understood to be confused after the development.

Ayub Teaching Hospital is part of Ayub Medical College from teaching point of view as almost all professors and teaching staff of Ayub Medical College are visiting the hospital to provide health care facilities as head of departments and assistants.The current chief executive of the Ayub Medical Complex is the employee of Ayub Medical College.

It may be recalled that Sheraz Khan, accounts officer of Ayub Medical College, who was transferred after pointing out some irregularities in the purchase of buses for the college, has challenged appointments and transfers by and other actions of the Management Council under Medical and Health Institution and Regulation of Health Care Service Ordinance, 2002 and prayed the court to order the calling of a meeting of AMC Board of Governors in accordance with the law.

The court accepted the petition and revived the Board of Governors Ordinance, 1978.

In the same case, Peshawar High Court, Abbottabad circuit bench has already attached the salaries of the Hazara commissioner and provincial health secretary for not implementing its decision. However, the release of the salaries was ordered after the verdict to notify the BoG notification was implemented.

The court also directed the provincial government to take necessary steps to ensure the formation and functioning of the board of governors of AMC as given in the 1978 ordinance and the 1980 regulation in question.