PESHAWAR: Nomination of non-professionals as members of board of governors of medical teaching institutions was adversely affecting performance of teaching institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said health experts.

The PTI government enacted its pet project, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015 to replace the old health system. It covered four teaching hospitals, three in Peshawar and one in Abbottabad.

The institutions and affiliated colleges slipped from control of health department and BoGs were formed to carry forward the reforms agenda. Most of the BoG members don’t know nitty-gritty of healthcare and the genuine ones are not at ease with them.

The government’s reforms attempts in other cities have not been to a desired level, mainly due to nomination of BoG members on considerations other than professionalism.

“The BoG members are supposed to give guidelines to the administration in accordance with government policy, but they don’t know about medical sciences, including investigation, treatment, academics and health administrations,” said experts.

Non-professionals made BoG members at medical teaching institutions

They said that boards required technical people with prescribed criteria as outlined in the MTIRA 2015.

Each MTIs should be governed by 10-member BoG, authorised to make high ranking appointments, including that of dean, medical, hospital, nursing and finance directors through laid down procedures but after lapse of more than six years, most of the MTIs operate on ad hoc basis.

Many BoG members have resigned from after losing hope in the reforms process.

Except Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) that have shown clinical and academic excellence with the former getting new specialties and technologies and Khyber Girls Medical College affiliated with the latter has topped the province’s ranking in inspection carried out by Pakistan Medical Commission two months ago.

The chairpersons of the BoG of the two MTIs remained in touch with the respective administration and so did the board members, most of whom were medical doctors and relevant professionals.

Khyber Teaching Hospital has been reduced to debris. Over 50 private rooms stand demolished due to renovation project. Per day cost of one room was Rs3,000.

BoG Chairman Dr Faisal Sultan, also the chief executive officer of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, held meetings via Skype with other members, who had qualification and experience in other fields but were bereft of healthcare.

The rest are dormant due to political interference.

Contractors, former officers and councillors are representing BoG in MTIs outside Peshawar. Politically-motivated appointments of BoG members have harmed the institutions, which previously operated under secretary health.

Prof Nausherwan Burki, the man behind Imran Khan’s agenda of health reforms, comes for three or four days every month in which he in his capacity as chairman of Prime Minister Health Task Force, remains engaged in national health regulations and does not give due attention to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The desired support from Prof Burki, also architect of SKMCH & RC, who initiated the reforms process in the province, was not forthcoming. He is also chairman of BoG in LRH.

Last year, the inquiries conducted by government on directives of Supreme Court, found that legal procedures were not followed in recruitment process at Peshawar-based MTIs. It didn’t say the people appointed were not competent. The MTIRA has been cleared by Peshawar High Court last year but ordered correction of the appointments.

There is no specific qualification for BoG members, who have unbridled powers.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2019