PESHAWAR: The dean of Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) at Lady Reading Hospital, Prof Riaz Anwar Khan, withdrew a circular concerning promotion of professors and specialist doctors within 24 hours after intervention by the government.

A circular issued by Prof Anwar on Jan 29 stated: `In the light of Peshawar High Court order dated January 28 in a writ petition, please provide relevant documents required for promotion to the dean office, PGMI, Peshawar within 48 hours, to be processed and forwarded to the concerned quarters for promotion.

The circular was withdrawn the very next day. The circular issued by this office (PGMI) on Jan 29 stands withdrawn, another notification said on Jan 30.

The circular was issued after the Peshawar High Court stopped the provincial health department from dissolving the PGMI in an appeal against its devolution on Thursday (Jan 28).

Earlier, the health department on Jan 27 through a notification ordered devolution of PGMI by the government to the medical colleges in the fulfillment of the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Reforms Act 2015. Its devolution paved the way for independent PGMI in each of the MTI-covered hospitals/medical colleges to benefit the postgraduate trainee medical officers in their own institutions.

However, sources said that the circular issued by the PGMI dean enraged the government due to which he cancelled it within one day. They said that under the new law, the PGMI dean no longer enjoyed the powers and he was not authorized to issue orders after its devolution.

Prof Nausherwan Burki, architect of the MTI law, took exception to the dean`s circular and immediately contacted PTI chairman Imran Khan about defiance of the government`s directives by a professor due to which the notification was withdrawn.

On Saturday, Imran Khan expressed anguish over the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government`s attitude towards the health reforms programme and asked the chief minister to establish the government`s writ and enforce the MTI Reforms Act at all costs.

`Mr Khan also expressed displeasure over the lack of seriousness by health minister Shahram Tarakai towards the MTI`s implementation,` he said.

Sources said that Imran Khan also made it categorically clear to the provincial government that he wouldn`t tolerate any more delay in the MTI`s enforcement. `The bureaucratic hurdles should be removed because the PTI`s policy should be enforced to benefit the patients,` he told the meeting attended by CM, chief secretary, secretary health and senior officers.

How a professor who is no longer PGMI dean is def ying the government`s directives, he said. `It shows lack of interest by the government,` the PTI chairman was quoted by sources as telling the meeting.

Mr Khan also reprimanded participants of the meeting over slow progress on the MTI`s enforcement and asl(ed the CM to give him a timeline to make things happen. He said that on their request members of board of governors at the four hospitals had been spending their own money to improve the hospitals, but the attitude of the government was not good.

`We fear that the BoG members, who are thorough professionals and technical people, could leave us if we failed to cooperate with them,` he said. The PTI chief had said that it was disgusting that the BoG members ran from one office to another to move files, but the government failed to facilitate them.

`There is no room for showing laxity in MTI and the government has to implement it. The people will not forgive us if we failed to improve the patient care,` Mr Khan told the meeting angrily. All the officials creating obstacles should be removed from their posts, he asked the chief minister.

Imran had also asked for removal of the BoG members who come in purview of conflict of interests and it should be investigated how they became members.