ISLAMABAD: Fourteen days after he quit his post, the president of the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) is considering “rejoining the office” as the health ministry has yet to take a decision on his resignation.

Prof Dr Noushad Ahmed Sheikh said he resigned on Nov 22 due to personal reasons and handed his resignation to the federal health minister.

“After that, I came to Karachi but I don’t know why my resignation has not been accepted until now,” he told Dawn.

He added if the ministry didn’t accept the resignation, he would be left with no choice but to rejoin his duties.

Dr Sheikh, a renowned general surgeon and urologist, was appointed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as PMC president a few months back.

Dr Sheikh refuted the rumours of his “differences” with Federal Health Minister Health Abdul Qadir Patel and added he resigned as he was not satisfied with working at the PMC. “Due to my other commitments, I was not able to give more time there.”

“I am always ready to serve for the betterment of medical education and health services where I am supported by higher authorities and political will,” he added.

When contacted, a senior official of the Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination (MNHSR&C), on the condition of anonymity told Dawn the ministry was not aware of the resignation.

“It is quite possible that the Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel may not have forwarded the resignation to the Prime Minister’s Office as it would have been routed through the ministry,” he added.

In the first week of September, Mr Patel, through a press conference, announced the prime minister had nominated seven members of PMC including Dr Sheikh, Jawad Amin Khan, Ch Sultan Mansoor, M. Shahhir Kasbati, Prof, Prof Dr Naqibullah Achakzai, Dr M. Zubair Khan and Dr Khurshid Ahmad Nasim. Later the council members elected Dr Sheikh as president and Dr Nasim as vice president.

Out of nine members of the PMC, seven are nominated by the prime minister. The surgeon general of the armed forces and the MNHSR&C secretary are ex-officio members.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2022