PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has notified amendments to the rules of the KP Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015, changing the composition of the MTI Appellate Tribunal.

Now, the tribunal will be headed by the health secretary with representatives of the law and establish-ment departments not below the officers of BPS-19 as its members.

Another member will be a retired health professionaltobenominated for three years who could be removed on the grounds of misconduct, involvement in a criminal case, inefficiency, corruption and physical or mental incapacity.

According to the notification, the tribunal will meet in Peshawar, with the presence of its chairman and at least one member necessary. Its decision shall be expressed in terms of opinion of the majority of its members, including the chairman or if the case has been decided by thechairman and one of the members and there is difference of opinion between them, the decision will be expressed in terms of opinion of the chairman.

`The tribunal shall not, merely by reason of a change in its composition, or the absence of any member from any sitting, be bound to recall or rehear any witness who has given evidence and may act on the evidence already recorded by or produced before it.

The notification said the government could fix an honorarium to be paid to the chairman and members who would observe holidays as could be declared and notified bythe government.

It added that the office timings would be 9am-5pm.

`As the tribunal chairman and other members are senior government`s officers and will remain busy with their day-to-day departmental activities, they will allocate one day to listen to the MTI-related cases.

When contacted, health secretary Shahidullah Khan said that all MTIs had been asked to constitute grievance redressal committees (GRCs).

`Appeals to the Tribunal will be acceptable when decided one way or the other from the concernedGRC,` he said.

Officials said amendments to the rules aimed to reduce litigation against the MTI-covered hospitals and medical and dental colleges in the province.

They said the MTI Appellate Tribunal was established in April 2021 to hear cases related to MTIs and reduce burden on regular courts and fast-track the cases of employees and institutions.

The officials said an amendment had already been incorporated to the MTIRA, making it mandatory for aggrieved employees of the MTIs to first contact GRCs at their respective MTI and move MTIAppellate Tribunal if they`re not satisfied with the verdict of the committee.

They said the MTIRA was enacted in 2015 to provide autonomy to government-owned teaching hospitals and their affiliated colleges. The MTI employees are recruited on contractual basis and can be terminated by respective board of governors.

The officials said the amendment was required to introduce a mechanism for addressing grievances of employees at pre-appeal stage, decrease burden on the appellate tribunal and prevent costs for the aggrieved employees.