PESHAWAR: The board of governors of the Hayatabad Medical Complex has decided to suspend hospital director Dr Gulzar Ahmad Khan despite the latter obtaining a stay order from the court against his suspension or termination.

Doctors observed a strike at the HMC, suspending all services, except emergency care, to press for an impartial inquiry into the alleged illegal appointments to the hospital’s top managerial positions.

Young Doctors Association president Dr Asfandyar Bhittani claimed to have evidence of corruption in the hospital, which, he said, will be shared with authorities.

He said that the YDA would go to every extent to expose the culprits and hold them accountable.

Doctors observe strike, demand impartial inquiry into ‘illegal’ appointments

Through a notification, the BoG informed the HD: “In pursuance of the decision taken by the board’s 55th held on Thursday, your concerns were discussed and deliberated upon in detail. After due consideration and based on legal opinion, it was decided that notifications regarding your suspension and the appointment of the acting hospital director shall remain upheld and active in the field for now.”

On July 21, the board ordered the HD’s suspension to ensure “smooth and transparent inquiries against him for showing misconduct and hiding facts after being given a show-cause notice”.

HMC officials said that the board took decisions in line with the law and that the court’s orders weren’t violated.

Meanwhile, the HD withdrew the notifications he earlier issued making Dr Naeefullah the project director of the accident and emergency department and Sehat Sahulat Programme and replaced him with Prof Mohammad Shah, chairman of the department of surgery and allied and Dr Azmat Ali.

The new project director has been given the tasks of “overall supervision, planning, coordination, monitoring and implementation of the accident and emergency project and keeps a liaison with the health, finance and other relevant departments”. He will report to the HD.

However, the strike by YDA overshadowed the tussle between the BoG and HD because of the patients’ woes.

Most patients visited the hospital from remote areas and turned to private hospitals or paid IBP due to OPD closure.

The associations of doctors have come under criticism for allowing IBP in the hospital and keeping the OPD, operating theatres, diagnostic and other non-emergency services closed for people who show up for checkup by doctors against a Rs50-100 slip.

The rates charged for diagnostic services, including pathology, X-ray and ultrasounds, in the morning are less than the IBP’s.

Doctors argued that they had no other platform to press the government for accepting their “genuine” demands.

They said that they had requested medical consultants to close clinics but the latter didn’t do so.

The doctors said that they produced evidence of corruption in the HMC but the action promised by the chief minister was awaited.

The HMC administration denied any strike in the hospital and claimed that patients were facilitated as usual.

It added that there was no service interruption at the hospital.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2026