Whatever justifications might be on given on the part of high-ups, the truth is that their unjustified step of posting blue-eyed medical officers against important offices in hospitals has lead to a virtual freeze on the delivery of health services in three major hospitals at Peshawar. Despite spending billion of rupees on hospitals and doctors, patients are now being forced to approach private medical centers whereas government doctors instead of fulfilling responsibilities in hospitals are seen busy in consuming most of the time in their private clinics.
During frequent visits to three main hospitals at Peshawar, Pakistan Today has observed that their standards are on decline on every visit. The senior doctors avoided attending patients on beds while their puppets persuaded the attendants with the patients to shift their patients to these very same doctor’s private clinics. Even the doctors occupying executive and administrative offices were reluctant to perform duties, thus giving a chance to junior doctors and clerical staff to attend to patients and running affairs of these hospitals as they deemed fit.
The officials informed that most senior doctors occupying highly important offices had not only dual charges but also regularly attended private clinics. Besides running private clinics, most of the senior physicians and surgeons were also on “call duties” at recently established private hospitals at Hayatabad and jam-packed medical centers at Dabgari Garden and its surroundings. Insiders say that health minister and chief minister seemed hell bent to please their favorites by posting them on attractive slots.
Even some people who had nothing to do with the hospitals, by dint of being in contact with some politicians from both PPP and ANP, have also established political offices inside government hospitals. One such person is Mr Imran Nasir who is Deputy Secretary.
We have come to know that Prof Dr Noor-ul-Aiman is serving as Special Health Secretary and is responsible for looking after the affairs of health department while the office of the health secretary is occupied by a senior civil officer Mohammad Ashfaq. But according to most of doctors and officials, Mohammad Ashafaq just has a symbolic position and it is Dr Noor-ul-Aiman who is responsible for all the working of the department.
Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar is one of the most important health units throughout the region. Here, Dr Arshad Javed is its Chief Executive but he also heads chest department. Dr Omar Ayub is Chief Executive of Khyber Teaching Hospital but at the same time he is also a member of medical board of police, Services Hospital Peshawar and is considered in-charge of Khyber Medical College Peshawar. Similarly, Dr Zubair is Chief Executive of Hayatabad Medical Complex but he also heads skin ward at LRH and is serving as Principal Khyber Medical College (Girl’s) Section. These three highly responsible officers are also running their private clinics in different parts of the city. These three hospitals are not only equipped with the latest medical facilities like CT scan machines, X-Rays machines, pathology lab and other facilities. But unfortunately, most of the time these facilities remain out of order and this helps these doctors to force the patients to go to their private clinics.