LAHORE: In what appears to be a first request of its kind, the newly appointed vice chancellor of the King Edward Medical University (KEMU) has baffled the health authorities by demanding two-month relaxation before resuming the charge of the university.

Prof Sultan Ayoub Meo was appointed the regular vice-chancellor (VC) of the KEMU on Nov 24 for a four-year term.

The chief minister had approved his appointment from amongst a panel of three medics, selected by a search committee. The two other candidates were former acting KEMU VC Prof Dr Asad Aslam Khan and Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, Chairman Prof Dr Farid Ahmad Khan.

An official privy to the information told Dawn Mr Meo didn’t take charge of his new assignment even after a passage of about two weeks. He said according to the laid-down procedure, the new VC is bound to take charge of his post within two weeks of the posting orders.

“Mr Meo is a regular employee of a medical university in Saudi Arabia and after failing to resume charge of his new assignment, he has submitted a request to buy more time of two months for the purpose,” the source claimed.

He said the health secretary might consider his request on Friday (today).

The official further said the process of appointment of the KEMU VC was riddled with problems from the day one. The search committee had taken six months to conduct interviews of the candidates owing to multiple issues, including litigation by some candidates against the merit policy, differences of some contestants with the search committee members and the allegations of pick and choose.

The sources said an interesting situation had occurred in July when two candidates, contesting for the slot, had expressed no confidence in the head of the interviewing board formed for the selection of the VC.

Again, the official added, it faced ‘embarrassment’ when some candidates refused to appear for interview citing favouritism as the prime reason. However, the search committees finalised interviews for the three universities, including the University of Health Sciences (UHS) and Fatima Jinnah Medical University (FJMU), and recommended panels to the chief minister in August for final approval. The chief minister approved appointment of new VCs for the UHS and FJMU but withheld the same initiative for the KEMU for a couple of months or so. Finally, he approved summary to appoint Prof Sultan Ayoub Meo as a regular VC of the KEMU on Nov 24.

However, it seems that the problem continued to haunt the KEMU as the new request of Prof Meo has baffled the health authorities who are already reportedly unhappy for his not assuming the charge despite a lapse of two weeks or so.

The official said the health authorities were finding difficulties in according him relaxation for two months under the rules and regulations which don’t have any such provisions.

The top medical university is being run on acting charge basis for the last 10 months.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2017