Drastic changes to health reforms law proposed again.

Byline: Ashfaq Yusufzai

PESHAWAR -- Drastic changes has been proposed once again to Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act, 2015 to authorise the government to change Boards of Governors of the hospitals, establish appellate tribunal to take up legal challenges speedily and ensure resolution to issues of pensions of civil servants retiring from service.

Sources said that a large number of retired people were not getting their pensions because no department would take responsibility, therefore, the amendment clarified as to who was responsible and where the money would come from for the pensions.

The MTIRA was enforced in 2015 to grant financial and administrative powers to the teaching hospitals to improve patients' care and do away with political interference in their affairs. Many issues have cropped up since the enforcement of the law in the MTI-covered hospitals for which several amendments have been incorporated in the law from time to time.

Under draft amended law, govt can change BoG of teaching hospitals

The latest amendments were proposed after issues were created by all-powerful chairpersons of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the teaching hospitals established under the MTIRA 2015 to run the hospitals free of government's control.

Despite emergence of irregularities in few MTI-covered hospitals, the government failed to take corrective measures because it was not authorised under the law to remove the BoG chairpersons.

In each of the MTIs, seven-member BoG takes all the decisions including appointments of candidates on top positions.

Likewise, the BoG members, who were appointed by search and nomination council for three years, can be removed by the chief minister anytime.

The same procedure will be adopted to undo Policy Board, which was created in 2018 through an amendment incorporated in MTIRA 2015.

The Policy Board, which has been set up by search and nomination council, will now be...