LAHORE, June 10: The Punjab Health Department dissolved on Tuesday the Board of Management of the Services Hospital and Services Institute of Medical Sciences on the “direction of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif”.

The decision came a day after Shahbaz Sharif’s surprise visit to the Services Hospital during which he had suspended from service the medical superintendent and his deputy on the complaints of patients.

Health Secretary Anwaar A. Khan told Dawn that the new BoG would be constituted in a few days. To a question, he said the performance of the chief executive of the hospital\institute would be evaluated before

taking any decision for his removal.

A source informed Dawn that Mehr Jewan Khan, a former Punjab chief secretary and principal secretary to the president, was being appointed the chairman of the new BoG.

On Tuesday, there was a ‘red-alert’ in all public hospitals of Lahore fearing the surprise visit of Mr Shahbaz Sharif. There was also a rumour in the Services Hospital that the chief executive of the hospital and all the staff and doctors on duty on Monday night had been suspended from service.

The source said the chief minister had also directed the health secretary and director-general health to thoroughly inspect the public health facilities in the province and report him at the earliest.

He said since the provincial government had not yet given the important portfolio of health to any minister, the chief minister was taking keen interest to deliver on this front.

The teams of senior officers have been constituted to check the health facilities in the province. Each team has been given 10 districts and every officer will submit a report along with recommendations to the provincial coordinator.

A committee, comprising the director health services (D&E), PHDC director and MHIS provincial coordinator, will analyse the reports and give feedback and recommendations to the government.

Health Services DG Dr Muhammad Aslam Chaudhry said the officers concerned would monitor the working of district and tehsil headquarters hospitals, rural health centres and basic health units. They would check the hygienic conditions, availability of medicines and attendance of staff.