PESHAWAR: As findings of inquiries initiated on the directives of chief minister regarding mismanagement and lack of patients’ care at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) are yet to be made public, authorities have decided not to grant an extension to the hospital director for another five-year term, according to sources.

On December 17, Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi ordered immediate termination of hospital director (HD) and putting under suspension head of paediatric emergency department a day after his visit to LRH following which he issued a charge-sheet against the administration of the biggest and oldest tertiary care hospital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

However, the directives of chief minister couldn’t be implemented. He had directed implementation of his orders within one day but Board of Governors (BoG) of LRH initiated two inquiries, one into role of hospital director in mismanagement and another about situation in paediatric emergency department.

Last week, BoG chairman Dr Nausherwan Burki had told Dawn that both the inquiries were completed but they were being reviewed.

Findings of inquiries into mismanagement in the health facility yet to be made public

On Monday, Health Secretary Shahidullah Khan said that there was no outcome of the inquiries as yet.

Sources in LRH, meanwhile, said that it was expected that the hospital director would get an extension for another five years but BoG decided to advertise the position instead of retaining his services.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Reforms Act, 2015, was enacted to grant administrative and financial autonomy to government-owned medical and dental colleges and their affiliated hospitals.

The primary goal of the law was to improve performance, efficiency and quality of healthcare services provided to people through formation of BoGs for each of the MTI-covered institution with powers to recruit candidates on high positions, such as dean, hospital director, medical director, finance director and nursing director.

Health department, which used to run the entire healthcare system in the province, has lost control over MTIs after enforcement of the law as respective BoGs call the shots now.

The BoG members, all from private sector, are notified by government on the recommendation of search and nomination council, headed by health minister. The chief minister can remove any member or the entire BoGs anytime, he wants.

“However, termination of hospital director or any other employee of MTIs requires proper inquiries as per law,” sources said. They said that in the past, many officials obtained stay orders from court against their unlawful removal. To avoid any complications, the BoG of LRH also constituted inquiry committees to probe the matter after directives of chief minister but the findings of the inquiries were yet to be made public, they added.

Sources said that the tenure of hospital director would end on December 31 but he would not be granted extension as was expected. In the past, a couple of deans and hospital directors have been given extension by the respective BoGs as per MTI law, which allows one extension.

They said that chief minister was unlikely to push for implementation of his directives after the BoG’s decision to hire new hospital director through a fresh advertisement.

“Dr Burki, the architect of the MTI law, is also chairman of the BoG of LRH. He must have taken chief minister into confidence about issue,” sources said.

They said that chief minister was also criticised for failure to implement his directives but the BoG’s decision to get rid of hospital director through a ceremonious way instead of terminating him during the last days of his tenure should serve as a satisfying act for chief minister.

“As far action against head of paediatric emergency is concerned, the BoG will issue a warning to him to stay vigilant in future because sever workload in LRH should be taken as excuse for mismanagement of patients,” sources said.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2025