PESHAWAR: Senior gynaecologist Prof Dr Iqbal Begum, who was appointed principal of the Khyber Girls Medical College (KGMC) by the secretary health last week, was removed from the post on Wednesday by the board of governors (BoG) in a first major order after its formation.

Prof Iqbal Begum was appointed KGMC’s principal by the government, but following prompt reaction from the BoG it decided to hold its orders in abeyance. The BoG, which is responsible to run the Hayatabad Medical Complex and KGMC, conveyed its reservations to the government asking it that the health department wasn’t authorised to make such transfers and postings after the implementation of the Health Reforms Medical Teaching Institution Act 2015.

Meanwhile, the government has also sought opinion from the law department regarding the new appointment, but the BoG in its maiden order tasked Prof Noor Wazir, acting medical director of HMC, to look after the KGMC’s affairs till further orders.

Sources in the health department claimed that it had appointed the KGMC principal because the new law allowed it doing so under Section 22 of the MTI Act. There are court cases against the MTI Act’s implementation and as such the BoG isn’t authorised to take any decision, they said.

Under the new law, the 10-member BoG at each of the four teaching hospitals had been formed to enforce the new law to improve the patient care as well as medical education. The BoG’s members had strongly opposed the government’s move to appoint a principal after the new law.

Health minister Shahram Tarakai told Dawn that the government was fully behind the BoG and wanted the new system to work and benefit the patients. “The BoG is authorised to issue orders on its own. We are still waiting for the law department’s opinion regarding the matter,” he said.

The minister said that there would be no interference in the BoG’s affairs because the government wanted it to work. A senior professor at the college told Dawn that the tussle for the post was causing academic problems.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2015

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