LAHORE: The Punjab government has appointed King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Registrar Prof Dr Farid Ahmad Khan as chairman and dean of the Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute/Shaikh Zayed Hospital.

The BPS-22 post fell vacant on June 18 last year after the retirement of Professor of Medicine Dr Zafar Iqbal. Prof Dr Farrukh Iqbal had been holding the additional charge of acting chairman and dean of the institute since then.

The Punjab government issued a notification in this regard on Friday. Prof Khan is set to assume charge of his new position on Saturday (today). Chairman of Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit at the KEMU, Prof Khan had been the registrar of the same institute for four years.

The Punjab government had for the first time adopted the procedure set for appointing chairman of the Shaikh Zayed Hospital since it was handed over to it by the federation. It had advertised the position inviting applications from eminent people with a scientific and medical background.

A search committee constituted by the Punjab government scrutinised applications of 12 candidates who had shown interest in the post.

Headed by former Punjab chief secretary Pervez Masood, the committee scrutinised the applications in the first week of February and sent names of three top and senior medics to the chief minister for final consideration. Health Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik, Adviser to Chief Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Aslam and Professor of Orthopedics Dr Amir Aziz were also members of the search committee.

The panel of finalised candidates included Prof Khan, Prof Iqbal and Shaikh Zayed Professor of Cardiology Dr Ajmal Naqvi. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had interviewed the three candidates a week ago.

Prof Khan will also assume charge as head of the Shaikh Zayed Hospital Plastic Surgery Department which had been lying vacant for around two years.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2015

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