PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has not replaced the board of governors (BoGs) of medical teaching institutions in the province despite assuming powers about three months ago.

However, sources said that the current BoGs would be replaced early next week as search and nomination council finalised names of new members that would be sent to chief minister for approval.

On Thursday, the second meeting of search and nomination council was held with Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah in the chair to discuss replacement of BoGs of medical teaching institutions in the province.

Sources said that despite pressure from leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to remove the current BoGs of teaching hospitals, the provincial government was not able to do so for unknown reasons.

Search and nomination council has finalised names of new members

Prof Nausherwan Burki, the architect of Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act (MTIRA), told Dawn that the process of replacement of the existing BoGs of teaching hospitals was in progress. “We are not sure if BoGs of all medical teaching institutions will be replaced in one go or in a phase-wised manner,” he added.

In 2015, the PTI-led government passed MTIRA from the provincial assembly that was implemented in teaching hospitals and their affiliated medical and dental colleges step by step. Currently, there are 10 MTI-covered hospitals, which according to the law are governed by their respective BoGs.

These BoGs are authorised to make top appointments such as medical director, dean, hospital and nursing directors from the market on competitive salaries to run the hospitals and their affiliated medical colleges. The members of BoGs work voluntarily but they are very powerful. Therefore, the caretaker government in March last year replaced the PTI-era BoGs with new ones.

When PTI won elections for third consecutive time in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in February this year, it was expected that BoGs would be replaced very soon, sources said. However, despite being in government for three months, the boards are yet to be replaced.

“The long delay in replacement of boards has also been brought into the notice of PTI founder Imran Khan in jail. He has directed Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur to expedite the process,” sources said.

Prof Burki, who was also chairman of MTI Policy Board and Lady Reading Hospital BoG before the caretaker government was formed in the province, has been urging the government to expedite the process so that the health reforms agenda could be resumed.

The caretaker government replaced BoGs of teaching hospitals through cabinet and issued notifications wherein it stated that the boards were replaced because those had been formed on political basis and the new members were highly professionals.

Sources said that the provincial government dragged its feet on the issue, fearing court cases by the present members. However, as per law, the chief minister was authorised to remove the chairmen of the boards or the whole board without assigning any reason, they added.

“Members can go to MTI tribunal in case they are removed on some allegations but in normal circumstances, chief minister can remove them any time he wants. “Now, this has been brought into the notice of chief minister and he is willing to replace the BoGs,” they said.

Prof Burki said that they were bringing the old people as members and chairpersons of BoGs of medical teaching institutions. “There will be few new faces as well,” he added.

Some of the former chairpersons of BoGs like Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Aasim Yousaf of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre have refused to become part of the boards due to time constraints.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2024