When contacted SZH acting chairman Prof Dr Muhammad Nauman said, of the Rs234 million deficit, Rs130 million were paid under the head of pay and allowances from the institute’s available resources and the same would be cleared on receiving additional funds from the federal government as the case was already under process with Cabinet Division. - File photo

LAHORE: The Shaikh Zayed Hospital, the only federal government teaching institution in Punjab which has been experiencing worst administrative and financial problems, is now facing another crisis as its deficit has soared to Rs234 million.

Known for handling renal and gastro-related complicated cases, the Shaikh Zayed Hospital has recently started liver transplant but severe paucity of funds also affected the new initiative.

The high incentives and distribution of shares (from income) to senior doctors, discrimination in promotion matters, delay in the completion of major projects etc had been some major factors which led to the worst financial crisis, sources told Dawn.

According to sources, the total deficit of all components of the institute including Sheikh Khalifa Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, Shaikh Zayed Hospital and Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute and Shaikha Fatima Institute Of Nursing & Health Sciences has surged to Rs234 million, the highest shortfall so far, thus severely hampering the matters relating to the administration and finance.

The initially 360-bed hospital was gifted by UAE’s founder president Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahayan to the then prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, for the people of Lahore.

As private patients have been the major source of earning for the SZH, a major chunk of the shares (almost 40 per cent) was being distributed among the senior doctors concerned, the sources claimed.

They said the institute’s top slot (chairman) had been controversial for the last five years or so which also affected its services.

Still, a case was pending with an apex court in which a senior doctor had challenged the posting of Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal as chairman.

Similarly, two other important posts -- deputy administrator and assistant administrator -- of the institution had also been controversial. Recently, Dr Munawar Shah and Dr Muhammad Riaz were removed from the two slots on the grounds that they were posted against rules and policy.

The sources further claimed that the senior teaching cadre doctors (working as professors) at the Shaikh Zayed PGMI were being paid around Rs100,000 each per month as ‘teaching incentive’ in addition to their monthly salary and other financial benefits. Similarly, an associate and assistant professor were also getting the same incentive ranging from Rs40,000 to Rs50,000 other than the regular pay. The decision of giving teaching incentive was taken by the institute’s administration.

The incentive was being given despite audit objections raised on several occasions, the sources said, adding that the last audit objection was raised to the same incentive in May 2011.

One of the major projects - construction of 2nd floor of Shaikh Zayed Hospital - launched some four years ago or so at the cost Rs600 million was yet to be completed.

The project, which also included eight residential blocks, installation of lifts, air-conditioning chillers and air-handling units, was to be completed before June 2010.

Interestingly, discrimination was being meted out in promotion matters to the general cadre doctors at the strength of SZH as compared to the teaching cadre belonging to the Shaikh Zayed PGMI.

Several medical officers had been working in the same grade for the last 10 years or so, showing one of the rare precedents of aggravating promotion matters in any government medical institution. Three MOs Dr Jamshed Khan, Dr Ikram Ghori and Dr Muhammad Riaz have completed their length of service required to get grade 20 but were still working in grade 18.

Similarly, Dr Syed Waqar Shah, Dr Nafeesa Fatima, Dr Syed Munawar Shah, Dr Niaz Somroo, Dr Rohi Naz, Dr Amir Baey, Dr Akbar Rajput, Dr Muhammad Arshad, Dr Haseeb Alam, Dr Iftikhar Cheema, Dr Zulfiqar have completed their length of service ranging from 15 years to 18 years but were working in grade 18 while the Departmental Promotion Committee meeting was regularly considering the promotion cases of the Shaikh Zayed PGMI every year.

Recently, the institute forwarded cases of some four teaching cadre doctors in a meeting chaired by Cabinet Division Secretary Nargis Sethi on Jan 5 for their promotion to grade 20.

The meeting, however, was postponed when SZH former chairman Prof Muhammad Saeed raised an objection to the names of two lady doctors presented before the committee in violation of seniority criteria.

When contacted SZH acting chairman Prof Dr Muhammad Nauman said, of the Rs234 million deficit, Rs130 million were paid under the head of pay and allowances from the institute’s available resources and the same would be cleared on receiving additional funds from the federal government as the case was already under process with Cabinet Division.

While, the general cadre doctors would be promoted soon after the implementation of the Career Structure for Health Personnel Ordinance.

About delay in completion of the second floor project, Prof Nauman said, recently a meeting held with the Public Works Department officials had taken various decisions for its early completion.