PESHAWAR: Young Doctors Association here on Tuesday called off strike after assurance by health department to hold high-level probe into allegations of out-of-merit appointments at Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC).
YDA had started strike four days ago against what it called slew of illegal appointments by Board of Governors at HMC.
Perturbed over the endless woes of patients visiting HMC and its affiliated Institute of Kidney Diseases, Health Minister Khaliqur Rehman and Health Secretary Fayaz Ali Shah held meeting with YDA’s representatives and assured them that a high-level committee would be formed by MTI Policy Board to conduct through probe into allegations of appointments of director finance, chief internal auditors and supply chain and other managers on higher salaries at HMC in total violation of merit.
On Tuesday, a letter, sent by health secretariat to Prof Nausherwan Burki, the chairman of MTI Policy Board, stated that various quarters through their complaints levelled allegations against certain officers of HMC.
Health dept writes to MTI Policy Board for formation of inquiry committee
It said that complaints were primarily related to allegations of irregularities in appointments, administrative mismanagement, procedural violations, misconducts and other matters concerning governance and administration of the institution.
“Keeping in view the gravity and sensitivity of the allegations and in order to ensure a fair, transparent and impartial examination of the matter, it is requested that a high-level fact-finding inquiry committee may kindly be constituted immediately,” it wrote to the chairman of Policy Board.
The letter, written with the approval of health minister, said that the inquiry should be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015, to inquire into the matter and submit its findings and recommendations.
The chairman of Policy Board, when contacted, declined to comment on the matter.
YDA provincial president Dr Asfandyar Bhittani said that they had postponed strike on the request of HMC administration including its dean Prof Shehzad Akbar Khan, medical director Dr Khalid Khan and Dr Mohammad shah in addition to assurances from minister and health secretary.
“We think that the government will fulfil its promise of holding transparent probe into illegal appointments,” he said.
HMC, one of the biggest tertiary care hospitals, has been in the news for the past one month over allegations of appointments on which Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Anti-Corruption Establishment had also launched an inquiry. The BoG of HMC has also suspended the hospital director, who had written letters to health department and Policy Board chairman to take notice of the irregularities in the hospital.
The hospital director has moved against the decision of BoG. He has been at the centre of the controversy over appointments as he had offered his support for an impartial inquiry into the matter. Legally speaking, health department has nothing to do with medical teaching institutions because these now are run by respective BoGs and all the powers rest with the chairman of Policy Board.
However, the continuous strike has compelled health department to hold talks with YDA and give it receptive ears as the protest was adversely affecting patients at HMC. For the past four days, there has been no OPD, no surgery, no investigations and procedures in morning shift at HMC except emergency while doctors continue institution-based practice (IBP) and examine patients after taking consultation fee from them.
The IBP consultants see private patients at HMC in the same rooms that remain closed owing to strike for the patients, who want to be examined on OPD chit in the morning shift.
Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2026
